New AV facility enhances North Wales cathedral’s appeal

The Cathedral Church of Saints Asaph and Cyndeyrn, commonly known as St Asaph Cathedral (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Llanelwy), is located in St Asaph in North Wales. It serves as the seat of the Bishop of St Asaph and is part of the Church in Wales within the Anglican Communion.

According to tradition, a church and monastery were first established in St Asaph in the 6th century by St Kentigern, the Bishop of Strathclyde. He was followed by St Asaph, a local saint whose name appears in nearby places such as Llanasa.

The present cathedral was founded in 1143 by the Normans after they had settled in the nearby town of Rhuddlan. In 1188, Gerald of Wales traveled with Baldwin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on a journey through Wales to recruit for the Third Crusade. Baldwin celebrated mass at the cathedral before continuing to Basingwerk Priory in Holywell. Gerald described St Asaph as a small cathedral town.

Extensive rebuilding took place from 1284 to 1392, using large amounts of yellowish sandstone from Flint or Talacre, along with locally quarried purple sandstone. Some aspects of its design were influenced by the military architecture being developed at Caernarfon Castle during that period.

The cathedral has suffered damage on many occasions, including during the 13th century and again in 1402 as a result of Owain Glyndŵr’s revolt. Repairs carried out in the 1400s included the addition of canopied stalls, or enclosed seating, which are now the only surviving examples of their kind in Wales. Further destruction occurred during the Civil War, and in 1714 the upper section of the tower collapsed. A major restoration project, led by Sir George Gilbert Scott, took place between 1867 and 1875.

The cathedral has offered live streamed services for several years, and the quality of these broadcasts improved greatly once a new sound system was installed and integrated into the setup. This audio system has received international recognition, as noted in the case study available at the provided link.

To enhance the live stream even further, an Angekis PTZ camera has recently been added. This upgrade followed a demonstration carried out in consultation with Richard King Systems, with support from Tukans, the United Kingdom distributor for Angekis equipment. The assessment helped determine the best possible placement for the camera. It has been mounted discreetly above the west door porch, reducing its visual presence while giving viewers a noticeably improved experience thanks to the wider range of camera angles now available.

Alongside the upgrades to the streaming system, Richard King Systems has designed, installed, and commissioned a multi-large screen television setup at the cathedral. The system features five large screens mounted on movable stands with wireless connections. Because the screens are wireless, they can be positioned throughout the cathedral to provide optimal viewing for the wide range of services and events held there.

The system also allows the cathedral to display current information for visitors to this historic religious site.

Additionally, the new screens help reduce the cathedral’s environmental impact by cutting down on printed materials for services and events.

The installation is discreet and high-quality, with specialist commissioning by Richard King Systems’ engineers ensuring excellent audio-visual performance and reliable operation.

With extensive experience in designing, installing, commissioning, and maintaining sound and audio-visual systems in complex settings, Richard King Systems has added the St Asaph Cathedral project to its extensive portfolio. Project manager Jacob Hughes commented, “We are proud to have continued our successful collaboration with St Asaph Cathedral to harness the power of today’s technology.”