There was a time when composers produced music for the Church almost by default. Now it tends only to happen out of conviction or, in the case of the robustly atheistic Peter Maxwell Davies, a sense of mischief. And as a result, the number of significant figures in this country writing for the liturgy is small – with that of significant Catholic figures smaller still.
If you rule out Stephen Hough on the grounds that he’s a pianist rather than a composer, the Catholic league-table homes in on just two high-profile names: James Macmillan and Roxanna Panufnik. And it doesn’t take a linguist to appreciate that the name Panufnik isn’t home-grown.
