Vicars are buying karaoke-like machines to play music during their services to solve the difficulty of finding an organist.
Vicars are buying karaoke-like machines to play music during their services to solve the difficulty of finding an organist.
The 'electronic hymnals' have a vast repertoire of music and can play anything from traditional Songs Of Praise to a disco version of Amazing Grace.
Church-goers who struggle to remember the words can look up at a big screen displaying the lyrics in time with the music for help - just like real karaoke.
The hymnal is controlled from a small screen in the pulpit or lectern and vicars can pre-programme their playlist to match their services.
More adventurous parishes can add their own music from their iPods or MP3 Players to the system.
It has already proved exceptionally popular with churches around the country that have struggled to find organists.
And Martin Phelps, director of the Surrey based company Hymn Technology, said that the hymnal device is already helping churches to revive flagging congregations.
'Many of them have had the same organist for the last 60 years but when they retire, they have no one waiting in the wings to take their place.
'Many don't have pianos or other musicians but they want to continue singing in their services.
'A lot have tried CDs but you can't alter the songs, speed them up, or alter verses like you can with a hymnal.
'Hymnals can mix songs together, change the tempo and store at least 3,000 as standard.
'They have a lot of music already stored on the system that is suitable for weddings, christening, funerals - any church service really.'
Between 1950 and 1980 church attendance halved, and between 1980 and 2005 it halved again – down to 6.3 percent of the population, according to Christian Research.
为解决琴手难招这一问题，英国牧师开始购买卡拉OK等设备，用来在礼拜仪式上演奏。
这套“电子赞美诗集”罗列了众多音乐作品，可以播放各种音乐，从传统的《赞美诗》到迪斯科版的《天赐恩宠》，无一不包。
按时到教堂做礼拜的人，如果记歌词比较吃力，可以参看大屏幕上与音乐同步播出的歌词，就像真正的卡拉OK一样。
这本电子诗集是由讲坛或诵经台上布置的一个小屏幕控制，牧师可以事先编排好适合在仪式上播放的歌曲的列表。
更有创意的教民还可以将其iPod或MP3中存储的歌曲传到这一系统中。
在全英各地为寻找琴手而犯愁的教会中，这一做法大受欢迎。
位于萨里郡的圣歌技术公司的主管马丁•菲尔普斯表示，这一唱诗设备已经帮助许多教堂重振行将没落的教堂集会。
“过去60年来，这些教会中许多都雇佣同一批琴手，不过当他们退休时，却后继无人。”
“有许多教会要么没有钢琴，要么缺少乐手，但他们都想在礼拜仪式上继续唱诗这一活动。”
“很多教会曾试图用CD机来播放，但这样无法更换曲目或快进，也不能像翻阅赞美诗集那样变换诗节。”
“电子赞美诗集可以将所有歌曲包括在内，变换节奏，而且至少可以存放3000首曲子。”
“诗集上存储了大量音乐，适合在婚礼、洗礼或葬礼仪式上演奏，不夸张的说，各式礼拜仪式都可以。”
根据基督教研究院的统计，1950至1980年间，到教堂做礼拜的人数减少了一半，1980至2005年间在此基础上又减少了一半，跌至英国总人口的6.3%。
waiting in the wings: 准备好了