Cathedral joins technology race

The main thrust of the technology will be for communicating, with the development of the website and the Facebook page serving as sites through which connections can be made with groups and individuals, while technology - like Powerpoint - will be used as a component particularly in respect of working and communicating with youth groups and during lectures.

“Although we are embracing all of this technology, when you walk into St Columb’s Cathedral it is still free of any kind of electronic intrusion, It has been very tastefully done and there has been no reduction of the atmosphere and aura of the Cathedral even though we are very much keeping pace with modern means of communicating,” the Dean, Very Rev Dr William Morton said.

Among the biggest innovations now available is Powerpoint and a large screen, which will greatly enhance the Cathedral’s lecture series, and is also an excellent combination of tehcnologies for the Sunday School and some of the extended youth groups.

“As well as that, the large screen is also great for showing the historical DVD of the Cathedral when tourists are visiting. It really is an amazing resource, and it has the ability to dramatically enhance what we can do for tourists and the youth groups affiliated to the Cathedra,” he said.

Walking tour audio material is also available in four languages for non-English speaking tourists, further enhancing the Cathedral’s reputation for being at the forefront of tourist provision in the city.

Church Warden Ian Bartlett said staff now had the capacity to operate the lighting inside the church building from home, and in the hear future the heating would have home operation capability. There is also a new security system which has been discreetly installed, so that staff can monitor who is in the Cathedral and monitor their progress.

Even the organ has the benefit of electronic technology - with manual stops and pistons now enhanced by electronics, and piror to Thursday night’s rededication the experts at Wells Kennedy will be paying a day-long visit to make sure the huge organ is in tip-top shape and finely tuned for the service - but the changes have not compromised the power and sound.

Those who find themselves in the gallery overlooking the ground floor will notice in the far corner that there is a dual mixing desk set up to control the DVD, lights, cameras and sound systems now operating.

“We can focus right in on whoever is playing the organ or on scenes in the Chancel and we also have split scene technology which allows us to show several views at once and we can control all the sound volumes and picture quality from here. It’s rather like a producer’s desk in a theatre,” he said.

The technology has been tastefully masked by the imaginative creation of a Cathedral pew, complete with unique carved oak pew end, with oak leaves woven into the design and the projector has been hidden high up in the gallery.

Connecting with folk overseas, former parishoners and reaching out to young people is a priority at the Cathedral which has seen a a huge increase in recent years in the number of young people on its books for Sunday School and getting involved in activities.

Facebook is one of the imaginative ways in which the Cathedral is attempting to connect on a social and spiritual level with young people, as the Dean’s secretary and website and Facebook page moderator, Linda McGonigle, was quick to point out, highlighting how the young people’s photographs were among those being loaded into the system.

“The website and Facebook allow us to keep up with everyone and keep us all connected. People who used to live here can use the website and Facebook to stay in touch and can leave messages and interact with us.

“We have ex-church members who have moved to Canada and Australia and they have been able to send us pictures and news. It is a great way for people here and those who have left to keep in touch and is brilliant for research, and the Dean can also use it to comment and communicate,” she said.