I've found this is common in school settings. With so many different instruments being recorded in the same space, and often with volunteers running the sound, it's just safer to have the levels set low so that even the loudest thing that could ever happen in the venue doesn't clip. The drop in fidelity that occurs when boosting a very soft recording is largely hypothetical in practice, while a recording that clips is ruined.
I have the volume all the way up but couldn't hear anything at the beginning and can only hear faintly when they play at stronger dynamics.
I've found this is common in school settings. With so many different instruments being recorded in the same space, and often with volunteers running the sound, it's just safer to have the levels set low so that even the loudest thing that could ever happen in the venue doesn't clip. The drop in fidelity that occurs when boosting a very soft recording is largely hypothetical in practice, while a recording that clips is ruined.