Allow us to sing carols in church, urges ex-archbishop

CAROL singing must be rescued in time for Christmas, a former archbishop of Canterbury and a host of music stars have demanded, claiming it is a “fundamental part of UK culture”.

A new think tank, Out to Perform, backed by high-profile religious and musical figures, yesterday delivered a letter to Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, urging the Government to permit socially distanced outdoor carol singing in all tiers from Dec 2.

The letter was endorsed by stage and screen personalities including Imelda Staunton, Aled Jones and Julian Lloyd Webber, and by Lord Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury.

The Rt Rev Rowan Williams, former archbishop of Canterbury, said: “People love carol singing for at least two reasons – they love the experience of singing familiar songs together, and they especially love songs that tell a story of hope, welcome and transformation.”

The think tank’s research found that almost 7 million UK adults sing carols at Christmas, and a further 31 million said carolling was a key element of Christmas. Carol singing also raises about £10 million annually for charity.

In the Commons on Monday, Sir Edward Leigh, the Father of the House, asked Matt Hancock: “Can you provide reassurance about Christmas carols? We don’t want it to be just a holy night and we don’t want it to be a silent night either.” But the Health Secretary replied that he hoped the reintroduction of restrictions previously required to keep people safe were not in place.

Aled Jones said: “Carol singing is so important for the emotional wellbeing of so many people at Christmas time.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, meanwhile urged people to return to church on Christmas Day, as social distancing rules are relaxed over the festive period. The Archbishop said that people should not be put off physically attending worship on Dec 25, describing churches as “one of the safest places going at the moment”.