The venue was the Royal Albert Hall.
The ornate frieze encircling the hall’s roof bears the immortal words: “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. The wise and their works are in the hand of God."
It was, for that reason alone, the perfect setting for a concert focusing on the greatness of the universe and the glory of its Creator. But while the magnificent auditorium was not far off full, I was puzzled that the audience was largely passive. It was also mainly white, the lack of diversity within a huge Christian congregation in the heart of Kensington especially noticeable in a borough which has twice the proportion of residents from Mixed / Chinese / Other Ethnic groups compared to London, and four times the national rate.
Are people more spiritually open than we think?
“People just aren’t interested in the gospel.” It’s a familiar refrain, often voiced with a weary sigh in church coffee …