Decline in cathedral tourism, but sharp rise in Evensong attendance
Why are thousands of people who’ve never set foot in church before suddenly showing up for choral evensong? By Ruth Gledhill, Christian Today.
Thousands of people are turning out to hear free choral music around Britain, many for the first time.
One poorly-attended church in London found attendance shot up from around 20 people to nearly 200 at one evensong alone.
Choral evensong is proving popular with atheists and believers alike.
Atheist Richard Dawkins has said: ‘I have a certain love for Evensong.’ Church of England figures show attendance at cathedrals for midweek services, primarily for evensong, has increased by more than 60 per cent in the last 10 years.
Visit England report: sharp drop in visitor numbers to churches and cathedrals, by Tim Wyatt, Church Times
VISITOR numbers at churches and cathedrals fell significantly last year, “largely driven” by a drop in visitors to St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey, a report by Visit England states.
The report Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2016, published last week, recorded a two-per-cent rise in the number of visitors to English sites in general in 2016 compared with 2015. But the number of visitors to places of worship dropped by eight per cent.
The sharp drop came as a surprise: between 2014 and 2015 there was a decline of less than one per cent in visitors to the cathedrals and churches monitored by Visit England.