Save our cathedrals!

00:00 06:11

Loyd Grossman has narrated this article for you to listen to.

My beloved 1967 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar is now locked away until December at the earliest. For the past eight years, I have had the terrifying privilege of dragging my axe (as we guitarists call our instruments) on stage to perform in a series of Christmas gigs (as we musicians call such performances) with the celebrated prog rock band Jethro Tull. Ian Anderson, who leads the band, has for years generously staged a series of pre-Christmas concerts to raise funds for English cathedrals. Our 42 cathedrals are some of the greatest expressions of creativity, imagination and hope (more on that later) which our nation has ever produced. They are also mostly bloody freezing, although this year the magnificent, but sadly underrated, Bristol cathedral approached cosy conditions. Sadly, though, rising heating bills are another burden for cathedrals already creaking under the weight of ever higher maintenance and conservation costs. Gravity and the weather never stop their war on our historic buildings. Does the wobbly hierarchy of the Church of England have either the talent or swag to care for these treasures adequately? I am delighted that my local cathedral, Gloucester, is energetically and successfully raising funds to restore its 1666 organ and extend the outreach of its music programme. Like local government, the future and usefulness of our cathedrals depends on great leadership. And great leadership is sadly unevenly distributed.