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ALUMNI NEWSTom Phillips (1957, English)Photograph © Fiona PaleyThe mosaic of CardinalNewman at WestminsterCathedralThe past year has seenthe unveiling of twosignificant new worksby the artist Tom Phillips.At Westminster Cathedralhis mosaic of CardinalNewman was blessed ina post-mass ceremonyon 10 September 2008.The mosaic depicts theCardinal, whom Phillipsthinks of as ‘a man ofinwardness and prayer’, with closed eyes. Newman’slikeness itself is based upon a bust of him that belongsto Trinity College, Oxford. Speaking of his commission,Tom said:This was a particularly difficult piece for me as I thinkof Newman as a very Victorian man, and I wanted toecho a Victorian style rather than the Byzantine stylewhich pervades the cathedral. I think of the cathedralas a Victorian building as well. I took a slight risk in itas it is not a typical Byzantine piece, but I think that ithas worked.Photograph © Picture PartnershipSouls chapel. Tom is working on a mosaic of St David,which will be situated outside the chapel dedicated toSt Andrew, and has also produced designs – which havebeen approved – for St George’s chapel.Westminster Abbey is already home to other piecesof work by Tom Phillips; two panels recalling the firstperformance, in the cathedral, of Elgar’s The Dreamof Gerontius (based on a poem of the same name byNewman) flank the entrance to the cathedral’s HolyLater in the year, Tom’s memorial for all those membersof the British Armed Forces and Auxiliary Forces whohave lost their lives in conflict since the end of theSecond World War was unveiled by The Princess Royal ata service of dedication in Westminster Cathedral on 29October 2008. The memorial, which takes the form of an34/TOM PHILLIPS