There are 452 parishes in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich
13,000 people attend Sunday morning Anglican services in the Diocese
67% of churches in the Diocese have congregations of fewer than 25
45% of 311 churches sing only hymns
46% of 421 churches answered “yes” to the question “Would you like to introduce new styles of music?”
Over 1100 people sing in church choirs in the Diocese, but 36% of responding choirs have fewer than 10 singers
17% of churches in the Diocese have a music group
The InHarmony Report is the result of a survey of music for worship in Anglican churches across the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich. 444 parishes responded to the questionnaire (an exceptionally high 94% response rate), so we believe that this survey is the most comprehensive of its kind to be carried out in any Diocese in the country in recent years.
Building on an earlier survey by the Suffolk Organists Association, the InHarmony Survey sought to find out not only what is currently happening in the area of music for worship, but also to give parishes the opportunity to indicate areas in which they would like to move forward – for example, by introducing new music, or through training workshops.
Published in January 2018, the report includes recommendations for future training events and workshops to encourage new growth, and to support rural churches in particular with the challenge of providing appropriate music to enhance worship.
The report is available in two formats:
If you’d like a copy of either, please email richardhubbard@stedscsathedral.org
