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27/12/2015

Connie Fisher celebrates the biggest musical moments and stories of faith from the past year, including the FA Cup Fans Choir singing Abide With Me at Wembley.

35 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 Dec 2015 13:15
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Clips

See all clips from 27/12/2015 (4)

Music Played

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

  • John Hughes

    Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

    Choir: Choir and congregation of Llandaff Cathedral. Conductor: Tim Rhys-Evans. Lyricist: William Williams.

    Tune: Cwm Rhondda Composer: John Hughes

  • Shaun Escoffery with Adventist Vocal Ensemble

    When a Child is Born (feat. Marc Baptiste, Chris Brown, Andrew Kydd, George Acquah & Kenton Reid)

    Conductor: Ken Burton. Lyricist: Fred Jay.

    Tune: Zachar

  • Daniel L.Schutte

    I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky

    Choir: Congregation of St AndrewΒ’s Metropolitan Cathedral. Featured Artist: Steven Rance. Featured Artist: Matthew Howells. Featured Artist: Stella McCracken. Music Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright. Lyricist: Daniel L.Schutte.

    Tune: Here I am, Lord Composer: Daniel L.Schutte

  • Stuart Townend

    In Christ Alone

    Choir: Congregation of the Keswick Convention. Conductor: Steve Thompson. Composer: Keith Getty. Music Arranger: Stuart Townend. Lyricist: Stuart Townend. Lyricist: Keith Getty.

    Composer: Stuart Townend and Keith Getty

  • John Rutter

    Gaelic Blessing

    Choir: Exultate Singers. Conductor: David Ogden. Featured Artist: Richard Johnson. Featured Artist: Sally Pryce. Featured Artist: Catherine Black. Featured Artist: Alison Francis Black. Featured Artist: Nerissa Calvert. Featured Artist: Jane Jewel. Music Arranger: David Ogden.

    Composer: John Rutter

  • Mark Beswick

    Sing Unto The Lord A New Song

    Choir: Congregation of Ruach City Church, Brixton. Conductor: Nicky Brown. Featured Artist: Mark Crawford. Featured Artist: Jerry Logan. Featured Artist: Clive McKinley. Featured Artist: Michael Osbourne. Featured Artist: Olrick Coker. Featured Artist: Marcia Walder Thomas. Featured Artist: Danielle Mahailet. Composer: Howard Francis. Composer: Nicholas Brown. Music Arranger: Nicholas Brown. Lyricist: Mark Beswick. Lyricist: Howard Francis. Lyricist: Nicholas Brown.

    Composer: Mark Beswick, Howard Francis, Nicholas Brown

  • Hubert Parry

    Jerusalem

    Choir: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic Orchestra & Huddersfield Choral Society. Conductor: David Lawrence. Featured Artist: Darius Battiwalla. Music Arranger: Edward Elgar. Lyricist: William Blake.

    Composer: Sir Hubert Parry

Music

  • Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah was performed by the choir and congregation ofΜύLlandaff Cathedral.
  • When A Child Is Born was performed by Shaun Escoffery with Adventist Vocal Ensemble at the Hackney Empire London.
  • I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky was performed by the Congregation of St Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral , Glasgow.
  • In Christ Alone was performed by the Congregation of Keswick Convention.
  • Gaelic BlessingΜύ was performed by Exultate SingersΜύat St Alban’s Church, Bristol.
  • Sing Unto The Lord A New Song was performed by the Congregation of Ruach City Church, Brixton.
  • Jerusalem was performed by the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic Orchestra & Huddersfield Choral Society at The Monastery, Manchester.

Stories

Musical Highlights

This is a three-minute montage of the some of the biggest musical highlights featured on Songs of Praise during 2015.

The series has featured nearly a hundred special guests including jazz legend Gregory Porter, Rebecca Ferguson and multi-Grammy award-winning worship leader Matt Redman.ΜύΜύ

We have also recorded hymns and songs from more than eighty churches, cathedrals and worship halls across the UK.

Μύ

Feature Highlights

A short feature on some of the most inspirational stories featured on Songs of Praise in 2015.

In June we featured inspirational speaker and bestselling Australian author Nick Vujicic whose videos on YouTube have in excess of 100 million hits.

Thirty three year old Nick was born without arms and legs and his parents, who are strong Christians, were told he would never go to school, walk, have a job or get married.Μύ However, they saw their son as a gift from God and, through their inspiration, Nick’s personal faith grew and from an early age, he has consistently defied the odds.Μύ

In March, Pam Rhodes met Michael Ho, one of the original boat people to flee Vietnam in 1979 during the Vietnam War. Michael, along with 76 others, was stranded in the South China Sea for 17 days without food or water.Μύ Michael prayed to God, vowing to dedicate his life to the Lord if a mother and new born child also on board the boat were saved.Μύ

Soon after, a British merchant ship arrived to rescue all those stranded and Michael later became a priest. Pam witnessed the moment when, thirty-six years later, Michael was finally reunited with his British rescuers, Ian and Jenni McBain.

David Hinkins wrote in to tell us how his father George sacrificed his life to save crew members of a British aircraft carrier when it was attacked by a Japanese kamikaze pilot in the Pacific Ocean in May 1945.

David’s attempts to find out more about the pilot drew a blank, but a Japanese TV team heard his story and amazingly, managed to trace the brother of the pilot - and brought a video message to play to David.

After the story was broadcast on Songs of Praise, David accepted an offer from an anonymous businessman to travel to Japan to meet the brother of the kamikaze pilot, who we learn was Yoshinari Kurose.

David, a devout Christian, believes their meeting was all thanks to God’s intervention: β€œI wanted to offer forgiveness and reconciliation which he accepted.Μύ And everything came together, it was the Lord’s timing. He knew when it was right to do this and we just got on and did it.”

Newsmakers

From the refugee crisis to acts of terrorism, we look back at how Songs of Praise has covered some of the year’s biggest stories as they have unfolded.

In February, His Royal Highness Prince Charles focused on the threat of terrorism during a special interview with Diane Louise Jordan.Μύ

β€œThe frightening part is that people can be so radicalized, either through contact with somebody else or through the internet,” said Prince Charles

β€œI think the secret is we have to work harder to build bridges and we have to remember that our Lord taught us to love our neighbour, to do to others as you have them do to you.”

Faith was very much in focus when in August Sally Magnusson visited a Christian church at the heart of the refugee camp in Calais known as The Jungle. Μύ

UK Christian volunteer, Susan Pardo, countered those opposed to helping the migrants.

β€œThat’s very sad that people feel that way but that’s not how the church feels. That’s what the church is here for – to reach the lost, the poor and the hopeless.”

In the wake of multiple terrorist attacks in Paris in November, the leaders of the Anglican and Catholic churches spoke exclusively to Songs of Praise about the perpetrators’ religious beliefs and motives.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:Μύ β€œThe perversion of faith is one of the most desperate aspects of our world today.”

The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, commented:Μύ β€œI think their intention is completely distorted over any claim of a religious motive.Μύ As Pope Francis has said, their actions are a blasphemy against God.”

Μύ

FA Cup Revisit

We look back at Songs of Praise’s most memorable moment of 2015 when our FA Cup Fans Choir sang Abide With Me, along with 90,000 people at Wembley Stadium in May.

Sixty four football fans, each one from a club which made it to the third round of the competition, joined opera star Alfie Boe on the hallowed turf to deliver what turned out to be an iconic rendition of this classic hymn.

Seven months later in December, the choir joined up again with Musical Director Steve Thompson to perform at the switching on of the Christmas lights at Totton near Southampton.

Since the creation of the choir, many members have formed lasting friendships.Μύ Leicester fan Fiona Wilkinson is due to get married in July 2016 and, as well as naming Scunthorpe United fan Vicky Woodcock as one of her bridesmaids, she has also invited a number of other choir members to her wedding.ΜύΜύ

Credits

Presenter Connie Fisher
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Executive Producer Dave Stanford

Broadcast