The Silent Discos in Incredible Places event hoped to align young people with Christianity in Kent - but peaceful protestors gathered outside who thought it went beyond belief.
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00:00 [crowd noise]
00:10 Backstreet Boys from the back of Canterbury Cathedral.
00:15 No silent prayer, but a sold out silent disco
00:19 in one of the UK's most prominent religious buildings.
00:23 The 90s themed party will welcome 3,000 people across four sessions this week.
00:29 But it's caused a stir in the Christian community,
00:32 not only here in Kent, but right across the pond,
00:35 hitting headlines in the New York Post.
00:38 Peaceful protesters gathered outside on the opening night,
00:42 concerned that the birthplace of English Christianity isn't being preserved.
00:49 It's going to see a rave inside of there tonight.
00:52 Alcohol is going to be served and music,
00:55 that is the very opposite of holy, profane, is going to be played.
00:58 And frankly I was quite horrified to see that the Church of England,
01:02 the Dean of the Cathedral and the Archbishop were giving the OK on this.
01:07 It's definitely going to bring people into the church tonight,
01:09 but they will not be here on Sunday morning.
01:12 In fact, the Dean of Canterbury has drawn on a religious comparison for the event,
01:17 saying the Bible celebrates the gift of dancing with King David,
01:21 adding that it will be appropriate to and respectful of the Cathedral.
01:25 It's categorically not a rave in the nave, he says,
01:29 but it is aimed at drawing a younger generation of worshippers in.
01:34 It's part of a series of silent discos taking place in cathedrals
01:38 and historic buildings around the UK and Europe.
01:41 Next stop's in Chester.
01:43 But with another night of spiced up service at the Cathedral,
01:47 the wannabe ravers here,
01:51 others hope the blessed building will of course continue as the county's hub for Christianity.
01:57 Abbey Hook for KMTV in Canterbury.
02:00 ♪ We wanna zig-a-zig-ah ♪