Imagine that ... cathedral bells in Liverpool play John Lennon's anti-religion hit

Imagine that ... cathedral bells in Liverpool play Lennon's anti-religion hit: "

Anti-religion: John Lennon, the former Beatle behind the classic 1971 hit Imagine

It's the last place you’d expect to hear John Lennon’s anti-religion anthem Imagine, but the tune rang out yesterday from the bells of an Anglican cathedral.

Churchmen in Liverpool say they carefully considered ‘sensitivities’ surrounding the lyrical content of the former Beatle’s 1971 hit – which begins ‘Imagine there’s no Heaven’ – before allowing the performance at the city’s cathedral, which boasts the highest and heaviest ringing peal bells in the world.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the cathedral to hear the tune, which Lennon, who was murdered in New York in 1980, described as ‘anti-religious, anti-conventional and anti-capitalistic’.

A cathedral spokesman said: ‘We feel this performance has inspired many people to think about their relationship with God in their lives. From what we have heard, it’s been received really well. It sounded absolutely fantastic.’

The idea to ring out Imagine on church bells came from artist Cleo Evans, who was commissioned by arts and music festival Futuresonic to develop a ‘concept’ with the cathedral in the city where Lennon was born.

Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, said on her Facebook page that the idea was ‘so beautiful, it made me choke up’.

Leading the recital was cathedral ringer Sam Austin, 23, a student at Manchester’s Royal Northern College Of Music.

Mr Austin said his team of six prepared by playing the tune on hand bells before moving on to the church bells.

He said: ‘We practised for three months. There was no room for error.’

The team now hope to take the performance to New York."

DOWNLOAD MUSIC LEGALLY