Brian O'Farrell

I have been singing in various Catholic choirs for the last 50 years yet recently I have heard very few hymns that I could recognise, and of these even fewer were from Catholic churches. Is there some kind of boycott of Catholic churches on Songs of Praise? The Catholics are one of the largest Christian denominations, maybe even the largest if one counts attendances, and yet they are effectively ignored. The current trend favouring African and Caribbean hymns might be good Show Business, but it does not always appeal to more traditional churchgoers. Perhaps it might be more honest to call the programme Protestant Songs of Praise. Sincerely, Dr Brian O'Farrell I have just been watching Songs of Praise on the baptism of Christ and am now more than ever convinced that the programme is a misnomer. If the BBC was honest they would rename it Protestant Songs of Praise. Today it featured Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists and the usual Afro-Caribbean contributions. It did deviate to show one non- Protestant church, the Ethiopian Christian church. But why did it not include the Catholics, the largest Christian denomination in England? And this when the BBC was filming in the Anglican cathedral which is about a hundred or so metres from the Catholic carhedral. We know that Protestantism (or a rather eclectic form of it) is the state religion but should you always neglect the majority religion? Perhaps I should find a site where I would, as a Catholic, feel more at home. Dr Brian O'Farrell

I have been singing in a Catholic choir for many years and yet when I tune in to Songs of Praise I do not know the hymns. The current fascination seems to be African or Caribbean Protestant hymns. It seems to be more Show Business than religion. The Catholics are probably the biggest Christian denomination in England and yet they are largely ignored. I can't remember when I saw a Catholic church on your programme, and very seldom heard a Catholic hymn. Are the Catholics being boycotted? Perhaps it might be more honest if the BBC changed the name of the programme to Protestant Songs of Praise and any Catholic tuning in could then try another channel. Dr. Brian O'Farrell

Dear Sir, I have spent my academic life teaching British history and was thus interested to watch your analysis of monasticism in England. Actually it was not really about monasticism, but the effect of monasticism on British art and culture. It was in no way a history of monasticism. The comments about the art were interesting but it was a pity that the art historian was not accompanied by an historian who could have set her straight on the historical background to the art and culture of monastic England. This has been an opportunity missed. Dr Brian O'Farrell (P.hd UCLA.)