Acoustics at the shrine of St. Werburgh

England’s Chester Cathedral (Anglican) contains a shrine to its patron saint, St. Werburgh, a 7th century Saxon princess of Mercia who became a nun and abbess. The 8th or 9th century shrine is far older than the 16th century cathedral. The shrine was enlarged around 1340, apparently because of its popularity as a place of pilgrimage and reported miracles. It was smashed by 16th century Henrician reformers and restored in the 19th century. The present shrine contains six recesses. In pre‐Reformation times, kneeling pilgrims placed their heads in recesses to deliver spoken petitions to the saint. Analyses of binaural recordings made in a recess reveal that vocalizations are dramatically reinforced (10.4 dBA, 15.5 dB overall) and distorted by resonances (the strongest is 25.1 dB @ 125 Hz). Documented acoustical features suggest the shrine comprises a forgotten or previously unknown form of religious theater‐for‐one in which the sound experience was important. Modern listeners can enjoy a pre‐Reformation auditory virtual reality experience via binaural recordings made at the shrine (best with quality headphones). [The author gratefully acknowledges architect Peter Howell of the Dog Rose Trust, a registered English charity, who reported the unusual shrine acoustics; and the cooperation of Chester Cathedral authorities.]