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12/04/2015

Connie Fisher meets Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the world's most successful composers, to discover why he wants to help more churches get connected to the internet.

35 minutes

Last on

Sun 12 Apr 2015 16:40
Â鶹ԼÅÄ One

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Clips

See all clips from 12/04/2015 (3)

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • Johann Crüger

    Now Thank We All Our God

    Performer: Choir and Congregation of Warwick Road URC, Coventry. Composer: Felix Mendelssohn. Music Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright. Lyricist: Martin Rinkart. Translation: Catherine Winkworth.

    Tune: Nun Danket, Composer: Johann Cruger

  • Luke Hellebronth

    Spirit Break Out

    Performer: Choir and Congregation of Birmingham Christian Centre. Composer: Tim Hughes. Composer: Myles Dhillon. Composer: Ben Bryant. Music Arranger: Steve Thompson. Featured Artist: Velveta Thompson. Featured Artist: Velisha Thompson. Featured Artist: Delroy Hutchinson. Featured Artist: Carl Stanbridge. Featured Artist: Paul Reid. Featured Artist: Raul D'Oliveira. Featured Artist: Nick Parrans-Smith. Featured Artist: Carl McGregor. Featured Artist: Natalie Harnett. Featured Artist: Dee Lewars. Featured Artist: Julian O'Brien. Featured Artist: Fitzroy Stoddard.

  • Gerald Cohen

    Psalm 23 (Adonai Ro'I Lo Echsar)

    Performer: Matthew Sandy. Conductor: Philip Formstone. Featured Artist: Matthew Sandy. Featured Artist: Blue Coat School Choir. Music Arranger: Philip Formstone.

  • Paul Leddington Wright

    Will You Come And Follow Me

    Performer: Choir and Congregation of St Peter's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh. Music Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright. Lyricist: John Bell. Lyricist: Graham Maule. Featured Artist: Jo Ashcroft. Featured Artist: Cathearn Shaw. Featured Artist: Simon Niemiński.

    Tune: Kelvingrove, Composer: Paul Leddington Wright

  • Chris Tomlin

    How Great Is Our God

    Performer: Choir and Congregation of William Booth College, London. Lyricist: Chris Tomlin. Ensemble: Second Mile Worship Band. Conductor: Geoff Ellerby.

    Composer: Chris Tomlin

  • William Penfro Rowlands

    Love Divine All Loves Excelling

    Performer: Choir and Congregation of Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff. Lyricist: Charles Wesley. Translation: William Penfro Rowlands.

    Tune: Blaenwern, Composer: William Penfro Rowlands

  • Basil Harwood

    Thy Hand, O God, Has Guided

    Performer: Huddersfield Choral Society. Featured Artist: Huddersfield Choral Society. Featured Artist: Â鶹ԼÅÄ Philharmonic. Music Arranger: Craig McLeish. Lyricist: Edward Plumptre. Featured Artist: Darius Battiwalla. Conductor: David Lawrence.

    Tune: Thornbury, Composer: Basil Harwood

Music

  • Now Thank We All Our God performed by the choir and congregation at Warwick Road United Reformed Church, Coventry
  • Spirit Break Out performed by the choir and congregation of the Birmingham Christian Centre
  • Psalm 23 (Adonai Ro'i Lo Echsar) performed by Matthew Sandy and the Blue Coat School Choir
  • Will You Come And Follow Me performed by the choir and congregation of St Peter's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh
  • How Great Is Our God performed by the Salvation Army Band at William Booth College, London
  • Love Divine All Loves Excelling performed by the choir and congregation of Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff
  • Thy Hand, O God, Has Guided performed by the Huddersfield Choral Society with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Philharmonic Orchestra at The Monastery in Gorton, Manchester

Stories

Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber visits St Michael’s Church, Aylsham, which has recently installed wi-fi for the benefit of parishioners and visitors. Using a transmitter at the top of its spire, the church also beams a signal to help other rural churches across Norfolk get connected to the internet. Presenter Connie Fisher talks to Andrew Lloyd Webber about why he thinks it is so important for churches to embrace the digital age. Reverend Andrew Beane explains how he believes the initiative is helping to make his and other churches the hub of their communities.  

He also talks to presenter Connie Fisher about the religious references in his musicals, including Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. He talks about the role his church organist father played in his childhood, and reveals two of his favourite hymns.



Matthew Sandy

The Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year competition has been a highlight of the calendar since 2003. Ahead of the launch of the competition for 2015, Songs of Praise catches up with Matthew Sandy. Matthew was part of the choir of Blue Coat Church of England School, Coventry, in 2008, taking a solo verse for How Great Thou Art. The choir were victorious that year and shortly after Matthew became a choral scholar at the world famous King's College, Cambridge and then went on to study at the Guildhall Conservatoire. He is now a successful, professional tenor singing all over the world and even sang for Pope Benedict XVI.

David Grant meets Matthew back at his old school to hear his story and to reunite him with Philip Formstone who has been choirmaster at the school for an amazing 38 years. They reminisce about the Songs of Praise School Choir Competition and the importance of choirs in general before Matthew joins the Blue Coat School Choir of today for a special performance of Psalm 23 in Hebrew.



Prison Ministry

Marc Pawson aka ‘MPFree’ talks about how he uses Christian Rap to turn his life around. He visits HMP Shotts to talk to the prisoners before performing one of his raps to communicate his message of faith to the inmates. 

Credits

Presenter Connie Fisher
Presenter David Grant
Interviewed Guest Andrew Lloyd Webber
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Executive Producer Dave Stanford

Broadcast