Yes, Music Is Lovely, but Churches Are Crumbling | Letter

Article by Dr Coco Parkinson-Huggins; Jonathan Davies writes: They are some of our oldest and most important historic buildings, yet receive no reliable government funding. On giving children access to music at world-class level

Jonathan Davies' article (Stay with me: English choral music is a living part of our cultural heritage – we must cherish it, 7 October) speaks beautifully of 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 educational opportunities beyond exceptional musical education".

What he misses, however, is the extent to which these bastions of England's religious, cultural and spiritual heritage are actually under threat.

Despite recent research by Theos think tank showing that 74% of adults in England have visited a cathedral in the last three years, 80% of cathedrals in England are currently structurally deficient. Several cases have recently reached crisis point, including those in Peterborough and St Davids. One in four cathedrals in England charge admission, and even after significantly diversifying their income portfolio (including through controversial silent discos), they continue to struggle.

More than 90 percent of visitors surveyed by Theos (including 94 percent of non-religious visitors) saw churches as central to community life, and the same number saw 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 some of our oldest and most important monuments (two are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many are nearly 1,000 years old), churches receive no secure government funding and limited aid from central ecclesiastical authorities. Unlike museums and galleries that offer free entry, churches are not subject to VAT exemptions on repairs or maintenance.

This has led to the collapse of many churches and their financial assets. Without churches, there would be no English choral music. If more is not done to protect them, that reality could be closer than we think.

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