Capes & Cloaks Part 2: the Choir Cope

From the Ornaments of the Ministers by Percy Dearmer.

THE CLOTH COPE

Alternatively known as the Cappa Choralis (choir cloak) or Cappa Nigra (black cloak), the so-called ‘cloth cope’ is a dignified piece of vesture still commonly in use today.

The cappa itself is made of heavy black cloth, typically wool, and is fastened at the neck, reaching nearly to the floor. Black silk or satin lining is present on finer examples. Some cappas have functional hoods, others vestigial ones, and some have no hood at all. In the Roman tradition, a shoulder cape is often attached.

This vestment can be worn over the surplice as part of choir dress at a number of occasions, all of them for practical reasons: graveside services , liturgies outside the church doors, and early morning or late evening liturgies such as compline. It is also worn over the cassock as outerwear, whether to protect from the rain or to keep a cleric warm.

Thanks largely to the work of Percy Dearmer and the Warham Guild, this noble and deeply practical garment is seen frequently in the Church of England, occasionally in the United States, and occasionally worn by Roman Catholic clerics. Originally reserved to cathedral clergy, custom now allows it to be worn by all grades of ministers, from Lay Readers to Bishops.

These cloth copes can be purchased from nearly every major maker of clerical garb, usually under the name ‘clergy cloak’, including Watts, Almy, and J&M. Cheaper versions can be found as well.

Part three of the capes & cloaks series will be published Wednesday morning. In the meantime, Dearmer’s history of the cloak can be read here.