Billy Kennedy: Some clergy leaving choice on face masks in church to individuals

However, congregational numbers in attendance are not high and, realistically, normality with pews full, will not return, until early 2021 at the earliest.

Social distancing in the pews is now strictly observed and, with space tighter in churches, some congregations are using their church halls to accommodate the overflow, with worship ritual and the sermon relayed by video link.

The surreal and unprecedented atmosphere in half-empty buildings with spaced-out worshippers takes time to get used to, especially in churches where the normal Sunday morning turn-out would run into several hundreds.

Tomorrow, the wearing of face masks at services is introduced, but, while this practice has been strongly recommended by the leaders of the four main churches, some clergy at a local level are leaving it to individual choice.

The message from some clerics is - “If you find it difficult to wear a face mask, don’t stay away from worship, come along, everyone is welcome?.”

The Church of England and the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) has sought updated guidance on singing in places of worship after findings of a government-backed study were published.

The research project, known as ‘PERFORM’, set out to measure aerosol production from humans. It measured singing, speaking and breathing in a zero-background environment which linked aerosol production to specific vocalisations.

Researchers reported a steep rise in aerosol mass with increase in the loudness of the singing and speaking, rising by as much as a factor of 20-30. However, it was also found that singing does not produce substantially more aerosol than speaking at a similar volume.

The Anglican bishop of London, the Rev Sarah Mullally has called for a proactive approach to the safe resumption of singing in churches and cathedrals. The Church has now decreed that it is permissible for choirs to resume singing with appropriate distancing.