Sir – Mr M. Hugh-Jones (Letters May 15) suggests that anyone educated in this country should have heard of Bach or St Matthew.

If indeed they had heard of the latter it might be more to do with an educational system that gives a particular religion a privileged position in an age when the population has a wider range of religious belief, or in the case of many, no belief at all.

Although I too would argue that from my point of view there is a case to make that the music of a great composer like Bach is of more value than an ephemeral pop song, that would be just my point of view, others would certainly have a different one, and as Mr Emlyn-Jones says, that “makes our society so interesting and so special”.

Popular music is not a single undifferentiated music, and no doubt many people would argue strongly for their particular genre. Thankfully human culture has always been varied.

Although I have my own ideas I think it would be dangerous to suggest that any, mine included, should be regarded as of more universal value than any other. We all have a lot to learn from difference.

I for one would like to thank Mr Emlyn-Jones for his consistently generous and broad-minded contributions to the continuing debate about religion.

I am sure that he has deeply held views, but he also has wider sympathies.

Paul Surman, Horspath