Within living memory, a moment of new-sounding music at church was a breath of fresh air. We were glad to change from the relentless foursquare plodding of some creaky old Victorian hymns, into lighter rhythms, plainer language and newer instruments to vary the musical diet. As a new millennium dawns (at least for most people), the scene has changed. It is not uncommon now, after an orgy of self-indulgent, self-centred and supremely self-satisfied songs, for someone to stumble on a Watts or a Wesley and exclaim: 'Wasn't it good to have a real hymn!'