A RENDITION of John Lennon's Imagine digitally adapted for bells by a Bridport woman is to be used as a commemoration for the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Cleo Evans first caused a stir with the idea of playing Lennon’s secular song – one of the most famous anti-religious songs about peace ever written in the 20th century – in Liverpool Cathedral in 2009.

It ruffled the feathers of some members of the Church of England but reduced Yoko Ono to tears. It was the first time a secular song has been played live on the bells of a place of worship.

Now a performance of the piece is being put on at Exeter Cathedral on September 11 to mark the decade since the atrocity on the World Trade Centre – and as a way to bring Mosque and cathedral together, she says.

It is being broadcast live online so the peal can be heard worldwide.

Ms Evans said it was a way of raising questions about religious tolerance and world citizenship.

The one-off recital will be performed by Exeter Society of Bell Ringers and will be preceded by a peace walk from Exeter Mosque to Exeter Cathedral.

Cleo Evans, an associate artist with PVA MediaLab, said: “Although the song was written 40 years ago, its relevance is as strong as ever with religious intolerance continuing to increase globally.

“By being performed from a place of worship, this secular song powerfully comments upon the role of religion and world citizenship in the 21st century. ‘Imagine’ infers there should be greater religious tolerance and speaks strongly of the need for peace.”

Ms Evans wants as many people as possible to join the peace walk and hear the recital or listen live online at imagineproject.info Church bells are not designed for reproducing conventional melodies so the recital has been a creative and technical challenge for Ian Avery, member of the Exeter Cathedral Society of Bell ringers.

He has been change ringing for 50 years and says the team of six volunteer bell ringers have now graduated from rehearsing the melody on hand bells to using the Cathedral’s legendary bells.

Imagine began as part of US-based Interdependence Day, an international movement of artists, academics, politicians and faith leaders promoting world citizenship.

But in August it decided the recital was too controversial and removed support claiming that the event was ‘anti national’.

The peace walks starts at 8pm and the recital at 8.30.

Even though it had a national debut in Liverpool the project was originally conceived for St Mary’s Church in Bridport as part of Countertext 09 – the series of arts installations that compliment Bridport Literary Festival.