Enhancing Social and Spiritual Capital: The Role of Liverpool Cathedral’s Music Department in Shaping Congregational Community and Spirituality.

Enhancing Social and Spiritual Capital: The Role of Liverpool Cathedral’s Music Department in Shaping Congregational Community and Spirituality.

This research project seeks to develop understandings in how the work Liverpool Cathedral’s music department contributes to the social and religious and spiritual developments within all participants within services in which music is performed at.  

Embedded within sociologies of religion, music and applied music studies the research project seeks to view the life of the cathedral as developing communal meaning through three main areas, religious and spiritual significance, musical significance and social significance the research aims to understand how people come to cathedral worship, where meaning is found and developed and how this is reflected in the ways in which people participate and contribute to Liverpool Cathedral’s liturgical life. Particularly of interest for this research are the intersections between these areas of communal meaning making, where the religious practices intersecting with music create more meaning to people than either would in isolation. 

Applying ethnography to collect data, the researcher aims to collate personal stories and narratives and celebrate the voices of people who participate in Liverpool Cathedral’s liturgical life, forming part of the complex life of the cathedral’s worshipping life. In doing so, the researcher aims to be actively present within the cathedral as often as possible for services and to be an active and present part of the worshipping community, joining in with worship and coming to know as many people personally as is possible. Should the researcher want to use any specific stories shared with him, you will have the opportunity to review how your stories are written about to confirm whether you are happy with how your stories are written and interpreted. 

Meet the Researcher:  

This research is being carried out in accordance with the requirements of Liverpool John Moores University for a PhD in Sociology by Christopher Deacon. Christopher is a born and bred Liverpudlian, growing up within the city as a cathedral chorister at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral between 2008-2013, and has remained actively involved with as a cathedral musician ever since, and currently in post as a choral scholar at Liverpool Cathedral, since September 2022. During their time at Liverpool Cathedral, Christopher has become increasingly involved in the liturgical life of the cathedral spending growing amounts of time socialising after Eucharist amongst members of the congregation and clergy. In his free time, Christopher has volunteered at the Liverpool Cathedral with a number of the cathedral’s outreach choirs, including L64, Junior Choir Liverpool and the Gilbert Scott Singers. 

How do I get involved? 

The research has been designed to be as unintrusive as possible, so getting involved is easy, just continue being a part of the community or come and talk to Christopher if you want to talk about your experiences of worshipping within the cathedral. Should you instead prefer not to participate, then please do let Christopher know, as that way he can keep a record of who to not include in any observations which are made. 

Please see the Participant Information Sheet for some further information, if you would like a physical version of this document, please ask Christopher for one as he will have some available for you. If you have any questions, concerns or would like to know more about the research please come and speak to Christopher in the cathedral, or instead email him at: C.W.Deacon@2025.ljmu.ac.uk