Choral Evensong service halted by buskers mid-way at Bath Abbey

[MrGongGong]

An indeterminately Cagey response:

[Serial_Apologist]

We have quite enough.

It seems like a perfectly natural reaction to me - It's exactly how I would feel if as a casual visitor I dropped in to hear evensong, and found that I couldn't.

If given the choice, I would rather hear the annoying-to-some buskers outside than enter an abbey in which the presiding sermoniser needs to repress his feelings of wanting to come out and smash up their equipment - which seems a strangely unchristian sentiment!

[french frank]

"We" still don't know exactly how loud this music IS inside Bath Abbey ?

Well, there's not much point in keeping asking here. We weren't there at the time. It might have been unusually loud that day.

[MrGongGong]

Well, there's not much point in keeping asking here. We weren't there at the time. It might have been unusually loud that day.

It might
but some said it wasn't

[french frank]

It might
but some said it wasn't

Some said it was. I was just wondering why you were enquiring here. I can't see why they would have made a fuss if it wasn't too loud.

[jean]

It might
but some said it wasn't

Have we any direct quotes from the people who claimed they could hardly hear the buskers outside? I have only read a busker quoting some worshippers telling him that.

The clergy have been quoted of course, but I can see that they are not to be believed, unable as they are to accept that the time is past when the Church got to make all the rules, and (unlike HG) quite unaware that Choral Evensong is not in the least pleasing to God. So forget them - what about the choir, who have been quoted at length, here:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/24/bath-abbey-choristers-break-silence-busker-row

[french frank]

Ah, but what about: "Meanwhile, some residents who live nearby have claimed that their lives are being blighted by the sound of the abbey’s bells."

Do we know, though, which have been there longer, the residents or the abbey bells?

[MrGongGong]

I can't see why they would have made a fuss if it wasn't too loud.

I can see several reasons

As I said before, i'm not a fan of buskers at all these days.
But it does seem that the church has gone about this in a rather daft way
There are enough laws in the country already to apply to breaches of the peace if they really are bothered.

The clergy have been quoted of course, but I can see that they are not to be believed, unable as they are to accept that the time is past when the Church got to make all the rules,

I think that this does get to some of the "truth" of this situation.
The time when we would all "fall into line" and trust someone just because he wore a frock and a collar is (thankfully) long gone.

So I decided today to go inside the church while buskers were playing outside, in both squares, just to make my own mind. And how big was my surprise, as I went through the door, I couldn't hear anything (appart from the really annoying sound of my own shoes ... ). No music, no busker. I walked through the whole church, and the sound of a guitar came back to me only when I reached the shop (which had it's doors open). Luckily, I had my camera with me, so if anyone needs to see that video, just to make sure I'm not a lier, I would be happy to show it. I love buskers, and I love Bath Abbey. But what I heard today made me think ...

from the western daily press


It could be (I said COULD) that the rector stopping his service was more a publicity stunt than anything else? (as has been reported in the local press)

[jean]

I rather thought that was what you thought. Very revealing.

I don't suppose we'd be having this discussion at all if it was concerts in a secular concert hall that were being disturbed.

[jean]

If given the choice, I would rather hear the annoying-to-some buskers outside than enter an abbey in which the presiding sermoniser needs to repress his feelings of wanting to come out and smash up their equipment - which seems a strangely unchristian sentiment!

The clergy are only human, you know; we should not expect superhuman forbearance from them.

I've told you that they feel exactly as I would feel in the circumstances, only I would probably go out and actually smash the equipment up.

[MrGongGong]

I rather thought that was what you thought. Very revealing.

I don't suppose we'd be having this discussion at all if it was concerts in a secular concert hall that were being disturbed.

Excuse me Jean

I frequently do performances in all sorts of places including churches and cathedrals. This issue seems to be more about people wanting to wield power rather than anything else. There are many people in the church who aren't like this man (In fact I met one today at a rather big Cathedral where we are doing a performance next year) BUT why should we automatically believe one person over another ?

Evidence ?

and context

only I would probably go out and actually smash the equipment up.

how mature and reasonable of you

[jean]

...This issue seems to be more about people wanting to wield power rather than anything else...

It's clear that that's how it seems to you. It doesn't seem like that to me. Neither of us has been there.

BUT why should we automatically believe one person over another ?

Evidence ?

Why not pay some attention to what the musicians have to say - the Abbey musicians, I mean? Don't they count?

how mature and reasonable of you

Oh dear...it was a joke.

[MrGongGong]

Why not pay some attention to what the musicians have to say - the Abbey musicians, I mean? Don't they count?

They do count
But I wonder why (and how) this story arrived in the national press ?

Since there seems to be little (or at best contradictory) evidence.
There does seem to be a "sub plot" that is familiar to those of us who have encountered some (SOME) of these characters in the church before.

[Bryn]

And though neither MrGG nor I am exactly busker friendly, they too are musicians earning their crust, and some are very accomplished performers.

[jean]

...they too are musicians earning their crust...

I guess that applies to the Abbey choir as well?