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24/05/2015

Former 麻豆社 political correspondent Martina Purdy reveals why she chose a new life as a nun. FA Cup choir winner, 100-year-old Jim Errington, looks forward to his big moment at Wembley. The Songs of Praise team visits Britain's fastest-growing church.

35 minutes

Last on

Sun 24 May 2015 16:00
麻豆社 One

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Music Played

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

  • Salvation Army Congregation, William Booth College & Second Mile Worship Band

    O God of Burning, Cleansing Flame

    Conductor: Geoff Ellerby. Music Arranger: Richard Phillips. Lyricist: William Booth.

    Tune: Send The Fire. Composer: Lex Loizides.

  • Beechcroft Choir & New Testament Assembley Congregation, Tooting

    Praise Is Rising

    Conductor: Ken Burton. Supporting Artist: Neil Watson - Bass Player. Supporting Artist: Joshua Adgomar - Hammond Organ. Supporting Artist: Floyd Millen - Saxaphone. Supporting Artist: Stefan Brown - Drums. Supporting Artist: Adam Kerr - Lead Guitarist. Supporting Artist: Paul Johnson - Keyboard. Supporting Artist: Melicia Walker - Backing Vocals. Supporting Artist: Jacqueline Ewers - Backing Vocals. Supporting Artist: Paulette Brown. Supporting Artist: Veronica Brown - Backing Vocals.

    Composer: Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche.

  • Congregation of St Macartin鈥檚 Cathedral

    Be Thou My Vision

    Conductor: Gordon Stewart. Lyricist: Mary Byrne. Supporting Artist: Orgabist - David Stephens.

    Tune: Slane. Composer: Irish Traditional.

  • Congregation of St Peter鈥檚 Episcopal Church, Edinburgh

    Glory Be To God The Father

    Conductor: Paul Leddington Wright. Music Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright. Lyricist: Horatius N. Bonar. Ensemble: Brass Band - Alba Brass. Supporting Artist: Simon Niemi艅ski.

    Tune: Regent Square. Composer: Henry Thomas Smart.

  • Congregation of Warwick Road United Reformed Church, Coventry

    Father, Hear The Prayer We Offer

    Supporting Artist: Organist - Tim Campain. Conductor: Paul Leddington Wright. Music Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright. Lyricist: Love Maria Willis and others.

    Tune: Sussex. Composer: English Traditional Melody (adapt. R Vaughan Williams)

  • Rebecca Newman

    Abide With Me

    Lyricist: Henry Francis Lyte. Supporting Artist: Christopher Stokes.

    Tune: Eventide. Composer: W. H. Monk.

  • Leicester Cathedral Choir and congregation

    Holy Spirit, Rain Down

    Conductor: Simon Lole. Music Arranger: Olly Hamilton. Supporting Artist: Saxaphone - Fiona Asbury. Supporting Artist: Pianist - Daniel Moult.

    Tune: Hillsong. Composer: Russell Frager.

Music

  • God Of Burning, Cleansing Flame聽was performed by聽Second聽Mile Worship Band and congregation at Salvation Army聽William Booth College, London.
  • Praise Is Rising聽was performed by Beechcroft Choir and the congregation of New Testament Assembly,聽Tooting.
  • Be Thou My Vision聽was performed by the congregation of St Macartin鈥檚 Cathedral, Enniskillen.
  • Glory Be To God The Father was performed by the congregation of St Peter鈥檚 Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
  • Father, Hear The Prayer We Offer聽was performed by the congregation of Warwick Road United Reformed Church, Coventry.
  • Abide With Me聽was performed by Rebecca Newman at Manchester Cathedral.
  • Holy Spirit, Rain Down聽was performed by the Leicester Cathedral Choir and the congregation of聽Leicester Cathedral.

Stories

Pentecostal Churches

On Pentecost Sunday, David Grant goes behind the scenes at Jesus House for All the Nations, part of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and Britain鈥檚 fastest growing church. Founded in Nigeria in the 1950s, RCCG have planted churches all over the world, with over 700 in the UK. David joins their second service of the day, and takes a look at the multi-media set up, as he finds out why this Pentecostal denomination is so popular. 聽

Adoration Sisters

Claire is in Belfast to meet three women who鈥檝e made the life changing decision to give up their careers and to enter religious life, joining the Adoration Sisters 鈥� an order founded in France in 1848 鈥� and one of them was more used to reporting the news than making it. Former 麻豆社 political correspondent Martina Purdy reveals why she chose a new life as a nun.

The Sisters of Adoration and Reparation was founded by Theodelinde Dubouche, known as Sister Marie-Therese in 1848. Currently the order has three convents 鈥� a mother house in Paris and two Irish convents in Ferns and Belfast. The convent in Belfast has been there since 1980.

The Sisters of Adoration are a small contemplative community of nuns based on the Falls Road.聽 At a time when many religious orders are struggling for vocations, three postulants have joined the community in the last nine months.聽 They could be described as late vocations as all three women have had successful 鈥� and in two out of the three cases 鈥� high profile careers.

Faith and Dementia

There are over 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK and that number is expected to exceed 1 million in the next 10 years.

After noticing symptoms for many months Joy Watson received the diagnosis of Alzheimer鈥檚 on her 55th birthday, making her one of an increasing number living with young onset dementia. She lives with her husband Tony in Greater Manchester and is determined to raise awareness to help others. They鈥檝e set up a weekly support group for people with young onset dementia - now run by AGE UK - in their local church. And they鈥檝e also made Eccles a 鈥榙ementia friendly town鈥�.聽

Fan Choir Winner

Jim Errington is representing Newcastle United in our FA Cup Fans choir. A retired Methodist minister, Jim is Newcastle鈥檚 oldest season ticket holder. He celebrated his 100th Birthday last week. We caught up with him as he enjoyed a special birthday treat from the club 鈥� a guided tour of the St James鈥檚 Park with one of his heroes, former Club Captain, Bobby Moncur.

The eldest son of ten children, Jim was born during WWI in County Durham. He first went to watch Newcastle in 1928 as a schoolboy who played for his local football team. Jim and his mates would pay sixpence to catch the bus to St James鈥檚 Park (home of Newcastle United) and another sixpence to get in to watch a game. He got a season ticket in the 1980鈥檚 when they were first introduced.

Jim still plays an active role in the delivery of church services at Denton Burn Methodist Church. He is loved and respected by all the dedicated members of the congregation. At church and at the games he stands and sings with great passion and conviction. And he can鈥檛 wait to sing the classic hymn Abide with Me at Wembley next weekend with his fellow members of the Songs of Praise FA Cup Fans Choir.

Credits

Presenter David Grant
Presenter Claire McCollum
Presenter Sally Magnusson
Interviewed Guest Martina Purdy
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Executive Producer Dave Stanford

Broadcast

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