Jonathan Davies’ article (Abide with me: English choral music is a living part of our cultural heritage – we should cherish it, 7 October) speaks beautifully to the contribution of English choral music to our living cultural heritage, highlighting the importance of cathedral choirs in particular, in giving children access to “world-class musical training, extraordinary cultural experiences and educational opportunities that might otherwise be beyond their reach”.
What he misses however, is just how under threat these bastions of England’s religious, cultural and spiritual heritage actually are.
Despite recent research from the Theos thinktank suggesting 74% of adults in England have visited a cathedral over the last three years, 80% of cathedrals in England are now in structural deficit. Several have recently reached crisis point, including those in Peterborough and St Davids. One in four cathedrals in England is now charging for entry, and even after significantly diversifying their income portfolios (including through controversial silent discos), they continue to struggle.
More than 90% of visitors surveyed by Theos (including 94% of non-religious visitors) thought of cathedrals as a hub for community life, and the same number see them as a symbol of local identity and a way to connect with history and tradition. Despite their significant social and cultural contributions to communities, and being some of our oldest and most historically significant buildings (two are Unesco world heritage sites and many are almost 1,000 years old), cathedrals receive no secure state funding and limited contributions from central church authorities. Unlike museums and galleries offering free admission, cathedrals are also not subject to the same VAT exemptions on repairs or maintenance.
This has left many cathedrals crumbling, and their finances with them. Without cathedrals, English choral music would cease to exist. If more is not done to protect them, that reality could be closer than we think.
Dr Coco Parkinson-Huggins
Researcher, Theos
