York Minster’s heavy metal gig has sold-out – as the Dean has criticised the ‘cowardice’ of anonymous critics who have generated a ‘little media storm’ against the event.
The Very Reverend Dominic Barrington, Dean of York, revealed that there have been no official complaints lodged with the Minster about the show, despite a national report quoting someone saying it was an “insult to their faith”.
He also told YorkMix that people were “intrigued and excited” by the concert.
It was just over two weeks ago when YorkMix reported that the Minster was to host Organic Metal: Two Worlds Collide.
Our story got an overwhelmingly positive response. People loved the idea that the works of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple would be played on the Minster’s pipe organ, before metal band Plague of Angels would play a set – again enhanced by the organ.
But a person quoted only as a “member of the York Minster congregation” told the Guardian that the proposed concert was “an outright insult to the faith it represents”.
The unnamed person drew attention to the fact that two of the band Plague Of Angels had previously performed with the group Cradle of Filth who sold T-shirts featured a topless nun performing a sex act and the words “Jesus is a c***”.
The Plague Of Angels have since said the two only played as session musicians with that band and they “deeply regret their involvement with Cradle of Filth”.
Dean Barrington told YorkMix that the proposal for Organic Metal: Two Worlds Collide was brought to York Minster.
“It’s an unusual use of our very wonderful pipe organ,” he said. “Churches are about the only place where it’s possible to put on a concert like this properly.
“And we were immediately attracted by the fact that it will bring through the doors a range of people who were probably normally rather reticent to walk through a cathedral door, whether it’s for a service or an event.”
The response was very positive, the Dean said. “In the main, people have been intrigued and excited by it – until this little furore, which seems to stem from, as far as I can see, two people who have used cowardice to shelter behind anonymity.
“We’ve only had positive comments about it.”
He said York Minster hadn’t received any official complaints. “This is something that we read about in the Guardian.
“Nobody has made direct contact about this in any serious way.”
Dean Barrington added: “I’m very disappointed the people who seem to feel so strongly about this haven’t got the honesty to come and make direct contact and to supply the evidence that seems to bring them such deep concern.
“We would be very happy to address such issues if they were raised with us. The Gospel does suggest that before you talk about people, it is more appropriate to talk to people.
“So I would say, in response to this little media storm, that it feels unnecessary. And I don’t believe that the people behind it are, as they claim, regular worshippers here, because it’s not behaviour of a kind that I would expect from regular worshippers.”
He said the Minster had carried out due diligence on the concert before letting it go ahead. “It seems to us that Plague Of Angels will be performing music that is not remotely incompatible with the mission of a church, and we are excited by the fact that they’re going to be with us.”
The gig is going to see the Nave packed out with music lovers for the concert.
“Many of my colleagues are looking forward to it,” Dean Barrington said.
“Those who know me well will understand that I’m not really a heavy metal kind of guy. So I will turn up to welcome people, and I might hang around for a few minutes, but I suspect it’s not my kind of music, and that’s fine.
“It won’t appeal to everyone, but as I think we’ve already seen, it has got a strong appeal.”
In their statement, Plague Of Angels said: “We are deeply honoured to be performing at York Minster and understand our responsibility to deliver a concert which is sympathetic to the building’s core purpose.
“We take this very seriously and have been working closely with the cathedral to ensure the content of the concert is appropriate for this setting.
“Throughout the evening, we will be accompanied by David Pipe (former assistant director of music at York Minster) who has a unique understanding of cathedral music.
“In a time where bridging cultural divides is more important than ever, this concert is an opportunity to show that faith and the arts need not be in conflict but can instead enrich one another.
“I am approaching this concert with great excitement, and I hope our audience is too.”