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Vicar raising perpetual melody raises £1000+

19 June 2015

iSTOCK

 

 

TODAY, a vicar should be coming to the end of what he believes is the nation's first hymn-singing marathon by a cleric.

Since Monday, the Vicar of St Cuthbert's, Darlington, the Revd Robert Williamson, has been working through the 628 hymns in Common Praise at the rate of 125 a day. He was scheduled to finish today, which is his 60th birthday.

Mr Williamson invited people from his parish to accompany him, and was cheered on his first day to be joined by a woman from the church choir, who stuck with him for the entire two-hour session. "It meant I was occasionally able to ease down a bit," Mr Williamson said.

He also had a pack of throat lozenges with him, just in case.

Mr Williamson was drawing on his classical training at the Royal Academy of Music from his degree studies in theology and music -although it was a "few" years ago. "I know about breathing from the diaphragm and all that sort of thing," he said on Wednesday.

The music was being provided by a team of three organists, and, to fit all the hymns into the week, they limited performances to the first and last verses of each one.

"I was looking for a fun way to raise money both for Christian Aid and for the church, which desperately needs a new heating system," he said. "I thought, 'Well, I enjoy singing; so why not?' We had fairly recently acquired this new Common Praise hymn book; so I thought I would learn some new hymns, have some fun, and raise some money.

"I have raised £1000 so far, and I have found two new hymns I had never come across before, both by R. R. Terry. They are lovely tunes. One is a Christmas hymn which I shall certainly use.

"As far as I know, this challenge has never been attempted by a vicar." 

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