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“ That first Christmas, rediscovering the joy of choral singing, and a full congregation belting out Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, I felt at home in every possible sense."

WHAT have been your most memorable experiences of singing in worship? I’d like to beg your indulgence while I share a few of mine.

Thirty-five years ago, the final assembly of my first year at secondary school. We sang Tell Out My Soul, and because we were excited and happy about the holidays, and young enough that we weren’t too cool for singing, the two year groups bellowed it out in the very definition of ‘lustily’.

May 14 1994, and instead of watching the FA Cup final I was at a mass choirs event at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (the modern Roman Catholic Cathedral). I’m not sure what we sang – there was probably a Rutter anthem in there somewhere – but I can still remember the sound swirling round inside that stained-glass funnel.

Christmas 2000. I’d mostly disconnected from religion while at university, but after I got my first job in an unfamiliar town I joined the parish church choir. That first Christmas, rediscovering the joy of choral singing, and a full congregation belting out Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, I felt at home in every possible sense.

In late 2008, I interviewed Graham Kendrick before he sang at a praise evening at Avendale Old Parish Church in Strathaven. He finished with Shine Jesus Shine (of course), and at the third verse he had us all turn towards the exit, ready to bear the light of Christ out into the world.

There are others: a packed congregation in Malawi comes to mind, as does the Guild’s Annual Gathering in Dundee.

I share all this because what connects all those experiences is not the age of the hymns, the style of music, whether there was a praise band or an organist, the theological leanings of the gathering, or the architecture of the building. It feels to me like sometimes we get too hung up on that sort of thing, thinking there’s some magic formula to be cracked which will attract people back to church.

No, what really connects all of them is confidence, enthusiasm, and the sheer intoxicating joy of singing together. And I believe that’s important: if visitors see half-hearted, self-conscious worship, they’re much less likely to be back than if they see full-throated, unapologetic, joyful praise.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. (Psalm 66:1-2, NIV) 

Deputy Editor