Great St Mary’s in Cambridge was one of the early adopters of this new music – but it caused concern for the local organists
From the Cambridge News on 06 April 1964, via the Cambridgeshire Collection’s newspaper microfiche archive, this article for me reveals the tensions not just across Cambridge, but also across society during a decade that many remember as one of huge social change.
Opposition to Trend for Beat Music in Churches
“An increasing trend towards beat music in religious services is worrying some Cambridgeshire priests and church organists. Although many organists are anxious about the trend, there has so far been no organised opposition from the Cambridge and District Association of Organists and Choirmasters, whose 65 members have contrasting views.
“Some of the more long-standing members look on the development with distaste and, in some cases, with outspoken bitterness, but younger members feel it is not altogether unwelcome and could assist in bringing about a greater appreciation of church music.
“Great St Mary’s the Cambridge University Church, has pioneered local “beat” services, but some priests have expressed doubts about their impact. One of them, the Rev F.E. Stanbury of St John’s, Hills Road, believes that the organisers were inspired by “missionary zeal,” but wonders how many of the young people who attended the service would do so again.
False response
“The Rev. J. Joyce, of Waterbeach, believes beat music is the basis of frenzied dances which form the “devotional worship of the corrupt religions of heathenism.” In his view, to introduce it into Christian worship is to suggest an alien god and “to call forth an illegitimate emotional response from the worshipper.”
“The secretary of the Cambridge & District Association of Organists and Choirmasters, Mr Derek Clark, thinks that most members are “not happy” about including beat music in services. Many people looked on it, he says, as a bit of a gimmick.” “I am not too keen on it, but I am not against it.” he declared. Not all organists look on the idea so charitably, and one who prefers to remain anonymous condemns it as a “pagan pursuit” out of the keeping with devotional character of church music.
Mixed views
“Mr Eric Impey, organist at St. Columba’s Church, holds entirely mixed views. “I am not entirely against it, and, in fact there are one or two pieces I quite like.”
“The belief that beat music is a gimmick was echoed by Mr A.B. Chapman, secretary of the Ely diocesan branch of the Royal School of Church Music. He looks upon it as a passing phase. “It is important to consider the words first and then the music which will go towards embellishing and enriching it.”
“He thinks that even many youngsters do not like beat music in churches and regard it as patronising. “It seems to have most appeal with people in the 30 to 40 age bracket, but the youngsters often seem to enjoy the serious music and resent it being played down to.
“Generally, I feel that including beat music in services is to the detriment of music generally, but I look on it as a seven day wonder and a passing phase”
A quarter of a century later and my experience of churches growing up in Cambridge would reflect a tension not just within society which, in the 1990s was also going through huge changes, but also within the churches themselves. The church my family went to – St Philip Howard in Cherry Hinton – had such a poor choir at one of their Sunday masses that the priest, Rev. Dick White, did away with hymns altogether in the mid-1990s. This contrasted with some of the school Christian Union services and socials that we were encouraged to go to in the early 1990s – mainly at St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church which had a full rock & roll band and overhead projector with all of the lyrics to sing along to.
The cultures of the two churches could not have been more different. But in South Cambridge in the Anglican and Catholic churches – the largest local Anglican church being St John’s on Hills Road (mentioned in the above article), the services were very much traditional with organ-backed choral music. This contrasts with the very modern building of the C3 Church at the eastern end of Romsey Town, which took over the site of the old St Stephen’s Church, a history of which is here.
Lost Cambridge 