‘Wall of noise’ Beatles tribute concert at Winchester Cathedral causes audience walkout
A spokesman for Winchester Cathedral said that it was "disappointed" with the sound issues - Flavio Vallenari/iStockphoto
Concert-goers who attended a Beatles tribute show at a 1,000-year-old cathedral walked out after the acoustics created a “wall of noise”.
Audience members at Winchester Cathedral said that they could not distinguish which song was playing at the Beatles by Candlelight concert because of the deafening acoustics.
A spokesman for the cathedral said that it was “disappointed” with the sound issues and is working “to understand what went wrong”.
The evening, which was attended by hundreds of people, was billed as the “ultimate tribute” to the Beatles, with their classic tracks performed by a tribute band.
But attendees, who had paid £40 for a ticket, complained they were hit by a “wall of noise” the minute the band started playing.
One concert-goer, Adrian Ede, 64, who attended the gig with his wife and son, said that the cathedral was the “wrong venue” for the performance.
He said: “We had been looking forward to it for weeks, we were really excited. We thought it would be a really nice evening, but no.
“The noise level was unbelievable.
“You could not understand which track they were playing until there were a few breaks in it ... my ears were ringing.
A Concert by Candlelight show at Winchester Cathedral
“I’m not sure whether it was the acoustics of the cathedral. I don’t think the band could have been that bad. I feel for them.
“People got up and started walking out.”
Members of the audience reportedly left the concert early and only a “handful of people” were described as returning after the interval.
Gill Scott wrote on Concerts by Candlelight’s Facebook page: “So disappointed by last night’s performance.
“The sound quality was really bad. Could not hear the drums despite it being very loud. My ears are still ringing this morning.”
John Blake, the commercial director of Winchester Cathedral, said: “We are very disappointed that the quality of the concert that we hosted on Saturday fell short of the cathedral’s and our guests’ expectations.
“There were some areas of the cathedral where the acoustics and sound levels were not satisfactory.
“We recognise this and are working with the Beatles by Candlelight production company and our sound engineers to understand what went wrong and to ensure this does not happen in the future.
“We are corresponding with everyone who has given us feedback and are grateful for their patience and understanding. We are doing our utmost to make this right.”
Concerts by Candlelight has been approached for comment.
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