UK cathedral to play Lennon’s “Imagine”

A British cathedral will soon play John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. This is a very unusual event, considering the song contains anti-religious lyrics. The cathedral in Liverpool, John Lennon’s birthplace and hometown, has agreed to let its bell-ringers play the tune three times on May the 16th. The idea came from British artist Cleo Evans. She teamed up with the cultural festival organizer, FutureSonic, and they developed the concept with Liverpool Cathedral. The song is one of the best-known tunes in the world. It speaks of a world in which everyone is at peace because there is no religion. Lennon’s song starts, “Imagine there’s no heaven,” and continues, “and no religion too”. These words will not be sung on the 16th; just the tune will be heard.
People have mixed feelings about the idea of playing “Imagine” in one of Britain’s biggest cathedrals. A cathedral spokesman said: “Allowing “Imagine” to be [played] on our bells does not mean we agree with the song lyrics.” Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono loved the idea, saying it was "so beautiful, it made me choke up". The artist Cleo Evans agreed. She said: "Imagine is an incredibly gentle, philosophical and moving song which speaks strongly of the need for peace.” The FutureSonic festival director Drew Hemment was enthusiastic about using cathedral bells. He told reporters: “What we’re doing is twisting something that's already there; we're “hacking” the bells.” An online poll of “Church Times” readers found 64% were against the idea.