DIE HERREN

One of the problems facing all of the established Christian churches in Europe is declining numbers. Buildings that can easily house hundreds of people are serving a handful of customers. In some places - Copenhagen, for example - the decline is so great that the churches are being closed or sold off.

My wife is a newish member of our local parish council, and this is something she is determined to try and change. Her big idea was to hold a free concert in the church for Die Herren, a Danish rock band who only play U2 music. Apparently the texts of U2's songs are heavily influenced by Christian themes, and they give nearly all of their concerts in churches.

And so on Thursday evening I was together with more than 350 people in a packed local church, which was literally heaving to the sound of rock music. In some ways it was an odd experience, in other ways perfectly natural. But the best thing was that it was a new and imaginative event in our small, rural society. So congratulations to my wife for organising it.

Walter Blotscher