Built as an Augustinian Abbey, The Bristol Cathedral has become a beacon of history and tradition, dating back to 1140. Redevelopments were made over centuries until it became a Cathedral in 1542, with its iconic nave completed in 1877.
Today, it serves as a spiritual and cultural hub, welcoming both the local community and visitors from around the world to a rich programme of services and events, historic architecture and a peaceful garden.
In order to cater for an expanding range of activities, the Cathedral recently undertook a major project to modernise its audio capabilities. The aim was to provide a world-class audio experience, while respecting the building’s delicate heritage.
Henry Parr from Bristol-based production and installation specialists Enlightened explains why NEXO systems were chosen for the upgrade:
“The core of the tender process was essentially quoting against a fixed specification that had been produced by a third party. We weren’t entirely convinced that it was the right solution and provided some alternative options, the main point being that we really felt that a NEXO system would benefit the Cathedral more in terms of value for money.”
“The key thing for us was intelligibility and- working with the NEXO Engineering Support Team- we found that NEXO was going to provide very, very similar results to a system significantly more expensive.”
The core of the system consists of 32 x NEXO ID84 column speakers, primarily positioned in the nave to provide even audio coverage. In addition, ultra-compact ID14 speakers have been installed on the stonework beneath the pulpit within the Eastern Lady Chapel, as well as other key areas of the Cathedral.
“We really like the ID Series for a lot of reasons” says Henry. “It’ s a good format, it has a lot of flexible options in terms of rigging and mounting, and important for us is that the ID84 has the right visual profile for the installation. In a Grade 1 listed building, it’ s very, very important that the system not only sounds good, but also looks right.”
All cabinets are finished with a RAL custom colour paint to match the impression of the stone columns, ensuring the speakers blend in with the building’s architectural identity. This diligence extends beyond the cabinets, as Henry explains:
“All the speaker brackets and all the cabling have been custom coloured as well. We used a coloured, braided sleeving to go over the cabling, so we didn’t need to worry about what colour the cable itself was, whether that’ s black, grey, orange, whatever.”
Installing a sound system in a historic, Grade 1 listed building presents unique challenges, as highlighted by the Cathedrals’ Chief Operating Officer, Ben Silvey:
“This is also a historic, ancient, and nationally significant building, so we take very special care of the fabric of it. Where we put cables, where we drill holes and what things look like are really, really important to us.”
Power and speaker processing for the system come from a rack of NEXO NXAMPMk2s and are controlled via touchscreen for easy configuration by non-technical operators.
“There’ s a whole variety of events, services and concerts that happen here, and it’s really important that people are both heard and can hear” comments Revd Canon Jonnie Parkin.
“The new speakers have got a really good, high-quality sound. They’re clear, but they’re also very unobtrusive. The design of them, the shape, and the shade blend into the cathedral architecture really well.”
NEXO UK Sales Manager Rich Soper concludes: “It’s been an absolute pleasure for NEXO to have worked with Enlightened on this project. Such a prestigious building requires a very sympathetic approach, both in terms of design and installation, and the ID Series has once again proven itself to be the perfect choice, bringing with it class leading technical capabilities in a form factor that is not only unobtrusive but also aesthetically pleasing.”
For further information on NEXO’s ID Series, visit the official NEXO website.
