▁aud itor ium ▁was ▁" as ▁bold ▁and ▁color ful ▁as ▁the ▁exterior ," ▁with ▁a ▁nave ▁ar cade , ▁a ▁v ault ed ▁a is le , ▁and ▁" sum pt uous ▁orn ament ." ▁ ▁Then ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁during ▁a ▁snow st orm ▁in ▁the ▁night ▁after ▁a ▁cho ir ▁performed ▁Hand el ' s ▁Mess iah , ▁a ▁fire ▁started . ▁It ▁g utt ed ▁the ▁nave ▁and ▁ch an cel , ▁col lapsed ▁the ▁roof , ▁and ▁dam aged ▁the ▁north ▁wing , ▁leaving ▁only ▁the ▁lim estone ▁walls . ▁When ▁the ▁aud itor ium ▁was ▁re built ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁it ▁was ▁simplified . ▁ ▁Art - glass ▁windows ▁designed ▁by ▁Louis ▁Com fort ▁T iff any ▁and ▁Co . ▁were ▁added ▁around ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 7 - 3 8 ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁rem ode led , ▁with ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁vest ib ule , ▁the ▁chap el , ▁the ▁north ▁wing ▁par lor , ▁and ▁the ▁gallery ▁at ▁the ▁north ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁nave . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 - 5 8 ▁the ▁ch an cel ▁was ▁expanded , ▁the ▁past or ' s ▁study ▁and ▁cust od ian ' s ▁work shop ▁were ▁added ▁on ▁the ▁south , ▁the ▁p ew s ▁and ▁pul pit ▁were ▁replaced , ▁and ▁the ▁old ▁wood ▁trim ▁in ▁the