A DEVIZES church choir which has been out of action since the lockdown was introduced in March will return to service on Sundays after government and Church of England guidance on music in church changed.

The choir of the historic St John’s Church in the centre of Devizes, which in recent years has sung on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship, at St Paul’s Cathedral, and in major churches in Latvia, begins with a pilot group singing at the 10.30 a.m. service on Sunday. (Aug 30)

If that is successful the choir will sing at worship every Sunday under a ‘new normal’ from the following Sunday, September 6.

Chris Totney, Director of Devizes St John’s Choir, said: “Both our many youth members and our adults have felt the absence of singing together during the past five months, and it is wonderful to be able to give them a chance to demonstrate their skills and to lead people at St John’s in worship.

“Live singing has been shown to have all sorts of health and spiritual benefits both to performers and those who listen.”

“Precautions are being to be taken to ensure worship is COVID19-safe in line with government and national Church recommendations. The most visible changes will be that singers from different households will sit at least two metres apart, and that the choir will be split into two groups singing on alternate Sundays. Many less visible steps are also being taken as a result of extensive planning behind the scenes.

“Singing by members of the congregation remains banned under government and Church of England guidelines.”

Gerry Lynch, Curate of St John with St Mary, Devizes, said: “One of the greatest of Christian saints, St Augustine, said that those who sing, pray twice. Music has been integral to Christian worship since the Church’s very beginnings. Indeed, we estimate this has been the longest period without singing in St John’s for 809 years! We have greatly missed having our wonderful choir singing to God’s praise since we returned to church in July, and we are delighted that they will be returning to help lead our worship from Sunday.”