Damian Thompson Damian Thompson

Are hymns dying? 

As church attendance falls off a cliff, so is our beautiful heritage of sacred singing

Choristers at Westminster Abbey, 1962 [Photo: Getty] 
issue 15 February 2014

I love a good hymn, so long as I’m not expected to sing it. Lusty declarations of faith sound ridiculous coming out of my mouth and embarrass the hell out of me, so I pretend that I’ve forgotten to pick up a hymnbook on my way in. If someone shoots me an accusatory glance, then I move my lips like John Redwood singing the Welsh national anthem.

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