Singing through lockdown

A small chapel in Northamptonshire is using Singing the Faith as a way of staying connected during the current crisis.

Members of Great Billing chapel in the Northampton Methodist circuit have their own copies of Singing the Faith with them at home so are able to choose their favourite hymns each week. The chapel Worship Leaders, husband and wife Roy and Margaret Littlecott (pictured below), phone two members at a time and play and sing their chosen hymn with them.

The arrangement has been in place since the very beginning of the UK’s period of lockdown. “At our last service,” says Margaret, “when we knew all the chapels were going to close down, we jokingly said to our other members, ‘We’ll phone you up and sing you a hymn and cheer you up.’”

For a congregation of mainly older folk, not all of whom have access to a computer, it has proved to be a simple but effective way of keeping in touch every Sunday, and of being in contact during the week as well.

 “At this time of isolation, singing hymns together on a Sunday morning maintains the bond of love and friendship found in our small village chapel”, says Shirley Allen (top). Church Steward Maureen Cross (below) comments: “I find singing together on Sunday very uplifting and it is keeping a link to the Chapel”.

Keeping in touch - Maureen Cross takes a hymn call