Fourth Sarum Lights show launches at Salisbury Cathedral
Tens of thousands of people are expected to visit the Cathedral this week
Last updated 7th Nov 2023
This year's Sarum Lights launches this evening (7th November) at Salisbury Cathedral for its fourth year.
Having originally been planned as a one-off event in 2020, the display has returned every year since and is now part of the Cathedral’s run in to advent and Christmas.
The doors open at 5:30pm tonight (Tuesday) with time slots every 15 minutes until 8pm and runs each night until Saturday 11th November.
We were lucky enough to have a sneak preview on Monday night (6th November) and spoke to Canon Treasurer at the Cathedral, Dr Kenneth Padley.
“We’re really excited about (this year’s event) as it’s a great opportunity to open the Cathedral and to invite people in.”
Kenneth says the most exciting aspect of Sarum Lights is the people, saying the cathedral wants to be reaching out to new people.
“It’s a really good opportunity to connect with people, maybe on a one-off, maybe in other ways, maybe it will challenge people as they go back to their homes.”
It’s expected that tens of thousands of people will pass through the Cathedral halls this week, experiencing the art work, which features works from the Baroque period.
Artistic Director of the show’s creators Luxmuarlis, Peter Walker, told us that the colour blue features more prominently than in 2022’s show.
He explained why that is: “Blue was the colour that was the most expensive and it was refined in the Renaissance and kept back for the clothes that the Virgin Mary wore, we get to impressionism, and it’s splashed on the canvas with addendum.”
The Cathedral’s Canon Treasurer told us that it’s important to continue finding new ways to share it’s core messaging with people in the modern world.
Kenneth says the use of modern technology, sound and light is representative of society with smartphones and screens.
“It’s that integration of timeless message with new ways of presenting and provoking,” he said.