First there was a silent disco at Canterbury Cathedral. Then there was the “rave in the nave” in Peterborough.
But York Minster is taking it one step further by hosting a controversial metal band in what parishioners have called an “outright insult” to their faith.
The 800-year-old cathedral is facing an uprising from members of its congregation after announcing a “shocking and deeply inappropriate” concert by the English rockers Plague of Angels.
Churchgoers have expressed outrage that two of the band’s members had previously performed with an extreme-metal group that sold what Rolling Stone described as “the most controversial shirt in rock history”. The T-shirt featured a topless nun masturbating and the words “Jesus is a cunt”.
“This is not merely an issue of taste – this is a question of fundamental ethics and respect,” one member of the York Minster congregation told the Guardian, describing the proposed concert as “an outright insult to the faith it represents”.
The gig is the latest example of England’s churches hosting somewhat untraditional events to stave off financial crisis and draw younger crowds. Canterbury and Peterborough cathedrals drew criticism from some quarters last year for putting on “rave in the nave” discos to try to swell their coffers.
About 3,500 churches in the UK have closed since 2013, while more than 900 places of worship are on Historic England’s “heritage at risk” register. In Scotland, more than 180 are officially at risk, and the Church of Scotland is considering closing up to 40% of its churches.
York Minster, which has running costs of nearly £4m a year, said the Plague of Angels concert had been signed off by its senior executive team.
A spokesperson said the cathedral was working with the organisers to “ensure this event aligns with our values, and we are really excited by the opportunities it affords to showcase the minster’s musical tradition, building, and the diversity of the people who find a home here”.
The Very Revd Dominic Barrington, the dean of York, said it was “regrettable” that two Plague of Angels musicians previously performed with a band that “espoused anti-Christian sentiments”. However, he said the incident “in no way reflects the contents of the concert we are planning for York Minster; this will be entirely suitable for a cathedral church”.
The performance, which will be centred around York Minster’s newly refurbished 190-year-old organ, is part of the diocese’s celebrations of the Royal College of Organists’ Play the Organ Year.
York Minster said the event – for which tickets cost up to £20 a head – would “cater to those with different musical tastes and showcase the magnificence of the organ that has played a central role in worship at York Minster for over 1,000 years”.
A spokesperson added: “The performers and organisers of this event are acutely aware of the sanctity of the site and will deliver a show that respects the values of York Minster as a site of Christian pilgrimage and worship.”
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However, parishioners have said they plan to protest outside the cathedral and boycott it for good if the gig goes ahead on 25 April.
One said faith was “not a commodity to be traded for contemporary relevance or ticket sales”, and added: “There must be a line where deference to secular culture stops and the duty to protect the sacred begins. That line has been crossed.
“It is difficult to understand how such a decision could be made, and it is even more difficult to accept that those in positions of responsibility appear so willing to disregard the deep offence this causes to many within the Christian community.”
Another parishioner said they supported “artistic expression and musical diversity” but this event was “inappropriate for a venue of such religious and cultural importance”.
They said they would be “amongst many that intend to protest” should the concert go ahead, and added: “It is my hope that the spiritual and moral failures that have led to this decision are recognised, that the event subsequently gets cancelled and that future events align with the dignity and sacred purpose of York Minster.”
Mark Mynett, a Plague of Angels guitarist, said he was sorry for the “confusion and concern” caused by the band’s association with Cradle of Filth, the heavy metal outfit behind the “Jesus is a cunt” T-shirt.
He said Plague of Angels was “its own entity, distinct” from that band, and added: “We apologise for this and can confirm that the two band members deeply regret their involvement with Cradle of Filth.”
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