I think I may have been responsible for Sydney's last public performance when I invited him to Warwick Folk Festival in about 1993. Eccentric, charming, tremendously affirming guy, and too modest. I tried, about a year ago, to persuade Continuum to prepare to republish his book 'Rock of Doubt' (also published in paperback as 'Light in the Darkness') as a tribute when the inevitable happened. I wrote to them :
"It would be wonderful if, when he eventually dies, he could be given some credit for being the thinker that he was, and 'The Rock of Doubt' is a fine example — as far as I know, the only example (other than the commentary in 'Greenprint for Song') of his theology and philosophy ever printed. It reveals him to have been a man thirty years ahead of his time."

The reply was :

"I am afraid I see no prospect of being able to reissue Rock of Doubt. We just could not find a sufficient market for it, I fear."

It would be great to prove them wrong. Continuum are, I believe, willing to release the copyright to Stainer & Bell.

I regularly use Sydney's songs in church worship, and my folk group 'Three Pressed Men' include his material in our repertoire, some of which is recorded.

He had the remarkable knack of expressing deep theology in words that children can understand, without being trite or condescending. He anticipated 'liberation theology' (e.g. "I come like a beggar with a gift in my hand") and feminist theology ("Come, Love, Carolling along with me . . I carry the maker of the world in me"). It would be a pity if obituaries were to concentrate on the one song which, as I recall, he himself valued somewhat less, and to which he didn't write the tune.

Sydney's theology has had a huge influence on me, and I'm sure I'm not alone. I cannot see that his more theological songs will ever date.