Contemporary Christian worship is almost 50% singing. At Bethlehem the Good News came not in a sermon, but in a song. When Jesus shared his last meal with his friends in the shadow of the cross, they sang a hymn together.

The early Christians, said Pliny to the Roman Emperor, 'keep singing in their little meeting places - singing hymns to Christ as God.'

Whenever there is a fresh renewal in Christianity, as in the Wesleyan or Welsh revivals, new songs and hymns proliferate.

Singing lifts the human spirit, inspires the mind and soothes the soul. So if you wake up singing a praise-song, keep it going through the day.And retire with another.

You can't sing very well? I like the story of the in-between tenor who was asked by the new churchmember, 'What is your position in the choir?' 'Absolutely neutral,' he replied. 'I don't side with either faction!' Remember the words of Audubon, 'The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those who sang best.'

I'm looking forward to the music in heaven, Lord. What a sound that will be (particularly as offkey lyricists will have their pitches fixed!) This life is rehearsal-time, so may I praise you here anyway. Amen.