If only God had clearly decreed exactly what sort of music he wanted us to make in church. For uncertainty on this matter is highly problematic. If only he had said, for example, unaccompanied female voices on weekdays and an all-male choir on Sundays, with nothing composed before 1800 and no stringed instruments, except at Christmas. Or something else, similarly specific. The Calvinists of the sixteenth century decided that he had said something of this sort: no music at all, except for chanted Psalms. You can imagine the Dean of Sheffield Cathedral feeling a flicker of sympathy for this position.
For Sheffield Cathedral has announced that its choir is not working and needs a fresh start. On one level, the issue was simply low attendance: hardly anyone, sometimes no one, was attending weekday Evensong. It’s pretty popular at many other cathedrals, but not here. On its own, this story is of limited interest; it’s because there is a diversity angle to the story has generated controversy. The choir should better serve the ‘mixed urban community’ and improve ‘engagement and inclusion’, said the cathedral. The implication, perhaps, is that there is an unhelpful link between Anglican choral tradition and white middle-class culture.
Is it true? Yes, obviously. The beautiful noise of Evensong is an intricate machine whose workings are crafted at exclusive schools and colleges, as well as at cathedrals. Yes, this tradition of expertise has been opened up to a wider pool of talent in recent decades, but every warbling high note still carries an aura of pre-diversity England, of posh whiteness. Admittedly, it’s more complex than that: there is also an aura of an international monastic tradition, which predates Kings College Cambridge or Eton.
But the links between this angelic noise and English nostalgia are undeniable – and it’s a problem for Anglicans who want to affirm their tradition without being dominated by its more antiquated aspects. It is an aural version of the whole establishment issue: there is no simple way forward. All musical traditions have problematic associations. I don’t want to see Evangelical praise songs taking over cathedral worship, with their sentimental idea of faith. We need a bold movement that adapts our choral tradition for our times, which includes being honest about its problematic associations. This is what the Dean and Chapter of Sheffield Cathedral seem to be hoping for: I salute them for opening the can of worms – and wish them luck.
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