If you haven’t yet heard of Silent Discos In Incredible Places, you’re in for a treat. This unique tour brings silent discos to some of the world’s most amazing locations, including many a historic building in the UK. On November 20, the tour is stopping at a very special place, bringing us a 90s silent disco in 800-year-old Chelmsford Cathedral.
Located just a 40-minute train ride from London, the 13th-century cathedral has a surprising history of transformation. And yet, the upcoming revamp in November promises to be unlike any other. Get ready to see the historic cathedral converted and illuminated like you never have before, ready for a party you won’t want to miss.
The surprising history of 13th-century Chelmsford Cathedral
The gorgeous Chelmsford Cathedral may be getting a makeover to house a silent disco later this year, but it’s certainly not the first time this cathedral has transformed. In fact, its history – dating back all the way to the 13th century – is pretty much one transformation after another.
Chelmsford Cathedral started out as a relatively simple parish church around 1223, the year its first services were recorded. Some of its original stonework is even older, dating back to the Norman period.
It wasn’t until the 15th century that the church was expanded to include a tower, parapets, and a south porch. This expansion took nearly a century to complete, largely due to the feud between the two sides funding the renovation during the War of the Roses.
Even as late as 1800, the cathedral underwent another massive transformation. Workmen digging to open a vault caused the collapse of the entire roof and the north and south aisles. The central area thus had to be reconstructed, and was ultimately rebuilt from Coade stone. It can now be visually distinguished by its paler colour compared to the medieval west wing of the cathedral.
Believe it or not, the north side of the cathedral is even newer, though this is harder to tell by sight alone. The block looks medieval with its flint wall, but in fact only dates back to the 20th century. This part of the cathedral was carefully matched to the medieval sections with great attention to detail, so it’s difficult to determine its age at a mere glance.
A 90s silent disco in a historic cathedral: what to expect
After these hundreds of years of renovations, the cathedral is set to undergo its next transformation on November 20 this year, when it will be converted into a 90s-themed silent disco for one night only. While the structure itself won’t be modified this time, expect to see this magnificent 13th-century cathedral transformed and illuminated like never before.
At this point, you might be wondering: what even is a silent disco? How does it work? You won’t find music blasting from deafening speakers at a silent disco, but of course it’s not actually silent – that wouldn’t make for a very good night out, now, would it?
At a silent disco, DJs play songs into wireless headphones provided at the venue. In this case, you’ll get state-of-the-art LED headphones with three music channels to choose from. You’ll also have full control over the volume, so you can always take a moment to rest your ears.
At this particular 90s silent disco taking over Chelmsford Cathedral, you’ll have two and a half hours to enjoy the experience, choosing between two time slots on November 20. Session one will run from 18:30 to 21:00 (not all of us can muster a proper late night out any longer, okay?), and session two will run from 21:30 to midnight.
Expect to dance your heart out to the greatest 90s tunes of all time, played by some of the best DJs in the UK, and immerse yourself in the best kind of nostalgia alongside thousands of fellow 90s babies in one of the most stunning historic venues in the UK.
