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Cathedral dean bans 'not to the glory of God' Jerusalem
Anna Davis, Evening Standard10.04.08
Southwark cathedral has banned worshippers from singing the hymn Jerusalem.
The Dean of Southwark, the Very Rev Colin Slee, said the hymn, written by William Blake more than two centuries ago, was "not to the glory of God".
A spokesman for the Diocese of Southwark said: "The dean, like all other cathedral deans, has the authority to decide what material is used in liturgy in the cathedral.
"The hymn Jerusalem is often used on national occasions, although rarely in Southwark, even on such occasions.
"The Dean of Southwark does not believe that it is to the glory of God and it is not therefore used in private memorial services."
Blake's words were written in 1804 as an introduction to his poem Milton and were set to music in 1916 by composer Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry.
A Church of England spokesman said: "Jerusalem is widely loved. It is fixed in generations of hymn books and has its place in Church of England worship."
In 2006 the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, was accused of being drunk after a reception.
