Why you cannot put a price on our Cathedral Choirs

You may well have read Benedict King's letter to the Times today, in which he disparagingly dismissed England's choral tradition as "insanely expensive" and a superfluous part of the Church of England, evidence of our departure from a clear focus on faith and more specifically the cause of the financial crisis facing our churches. He couldn't be more wrong.

The quire at Ely Cathedral

King may well be "History and Economics Editor" at Five Books,  but he seems to have fallen foul of the fundamental truth of economics. Namely that the price of something is a very poor indicator of its worth.

Music is such a fundamental part of worship in our churches. It allows the congregation to participate, invites people to pray and settles their mind ready for worship. Music can give words meaning, preparing the congregation for each stage of the service, conferring a sense of inclusivity and enhancing scripture. Just as children are often taught important information via song, music aids memory and connects with the soul. It is comforting, reassuring, and heightens our emotional involvement in worship. It is also a fundamental expression of joy and as such should be the foundation for praising God!

A good example of music reinforcing scripture is Thomas Weelkes "Hosanna to the Son of David". Hosanna to the Son of David is a famous example of the English 'full' anthem – as opposed to the 'verse' anthem, and opens with a majestic six-voice proclamation. It's glorious thick texture shows how effectively music can conjure up an image, it's a joy to sing! The anthem facilitates the visualisation of the scripture, and actually gives the text meaning in a modern world far removed from biblical times. Words alone simply cannot achieve this.

Celebrations have involved music since time immemorial, and Anglican choral music is inseparable from both the Church of England and our Monarchy. Unless King is in favour of a programme of disestablishment and abolition, advocating the survival of our cathedrals and churches at the expense of their music is profoundly impossible. (Our cathedrals were actually *built* for choirs with their wonderful acoustics!)

Westminster Abbey, where I was fortunate enough to sing Evensong in December

King's reference to Cranmer is also interesting, but as an historian I can assure him music has stood the test of time as a vehicle for communication, emotional connection and teaching. The congregation are not spectators, but participants. I wrote at length here about the impact of the English Reformation on music and whilst Cranmer's reform of the church in England strayed from the Lutheran model, he was a supporter of the Protestant movement in Europe. It's also worth pointing out that Cranmer's motives were mercenary as much as they were religious. And whilst Protestantism is indeed associated with plainer worship, Luther had significant appreciation for music. Not only did he like and enjoy music, (he was a rather accomplished musician himself) he deliberately included music as part of the church service as a means for worship. He believed strongly in the ethical power of music and that through it one could glorify God and grow closer to Him. Music survived as an essential and integral part of Protestant worship as a means of glorifying God and connecting with him. Calvin was deeply concerned for the piety and religious devotion of parishioners, but considered that children could "teach adults simplicity, childlike devotion, and a sincere heart when singing, even though there might be problems with intonation and the like." He was responsible for adding children's choirs to worship music.

As a chorister parent and former teacher I can perhaps reassure King that the musical education offered in cathedral schools and cathedral style choirs is, in fact, inexpensive and of enormous value to society. Places are earned by ability and potential, not social position or income and they provide children who often have little access to a musical education with unparalleled opportunity. Our choirs are a main source of Mission within the Church of England, at a time when many congregations are dwindling and the average age in the pews is increasing. It's also worth noting that even the best music directors earn significantly less than senior teachers in our schools yet in opening the window to classical choral music they promote skills and enthusiasm which stretch far beyond the individual and benefit whole communities. Cathedral choirs promote more than a tradition; they teach history, which gives the present context, train the mind and bring significant mental health benefits. For many, the chorister experience will enrich their lives for many years to come; for some it will be the foundation for a career in professional music.

If this year has taught us anything as a society, it has shown that our value system is profoundly skewed. Our mental health has been damaged by fear and loneliness, no amount of money or privilege can protect us against the virus and supporting retail and business hasn't made us any happier. What people really need, and are crucially missing, is music. Because it's so fundamentally essential for the soul.

And *that* is what is at the foundation of faith; the connection between the soul and our Maker. Prayer may be that connection, but it is the accompanying music which gives it wings.