
Josie d'Arby joins the archbishop of Canterbury, who shares his thoughts on the significance of the Christingle tradition in modern times, as well as some poignant personal memories of feeling lonely at Christmas as a child. \n\nSean Fletcher meets with children from five different local schools as they make some Christingles in preparation for a special evening service held at All Saints' Church in Hoole, Chester.\n\nAlthough the tradition of Christingle originated in the Moravian church in Germany in the 18th century, the Children's Society held their first Christingle service in this country half a century ago and it is estimated there are over 6,000 such services held in the country nowadays.\n\nSean also sits in on rehearsals for a musical drama based on the story of the Nativity, written by the teachers and pupils of Bishop's Blue Coat Secondary School in Chester.\n\nOn this first Sunday of Advent, there's a varied selection of seasonal hymns old and new from around the country and a special performance of an Advent favourite from soprano Laura Wright.\n\nMusic:\nLo! He Comes with Clouds Descending - Kendal Parish Church\nLike a Candle Flame - St David's Church, Exeter\nCome, Thou Long-Expected Jesus - St Alban's Church, Bristol\nLord of All Hopefulness - Hereford Cathedral\nO Come, O Come Emmanuel - Performed by Laura Wright\nSomething Inside So Strong - Performed by Kingdom Choir \nChrist Be Our Light - Our Lady's, York.
Source: BBC 1
All Souls' Day
All Souls’ Day is traditionally a time in the church calendar dedicated to remembering those who have died, and on this Sunday, the Rev Kate Bottley visits Christians in t ...
02-11-2025
BBC 1
Muyiwa Olarewaju's Faith Journey
Sean Fletcher is in London to join singer, songwriter, broadcaster and Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year judge Muyiwa Olarewaju to learn about his extraordinary and eye-o ...
26-10-2025
BBC 1
1700 Years Of The Nicene Creed
Pam Rhodes celebrates the 1700-year anniversary of the Nicene Creed and explores why this ancient declaration of beliefs is so important in the history of Christianity. \n\nAt t ...
19-10-2025
BBC 1
Young Chorister Of The Year - Final
Aled Jones and the Rev Kate Bottley host the final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester. Three junior choristers aged 11 to 13 and ...
12-10-2025
BBC 1
Young Chorister Of The Year - Junior Semi-final
Aled Jones presents the junior semi-final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from the prestigious Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester. Five singers aged 11 to 13 have be ...
05-10-2025
BBC 1
Young Chorister Of The Year - Senior Semi-final
Aled Jones presents the senior semi-final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from the prestigious Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester. Five of the very best singers aged ...
28-09-2025
BBC 1
Harvest On The Farm
Claire McCollum visits a farm in Devon, where faith and farming go back five generations, and helps bring in the harvest. \n\nClaire joins the Pinhey family at one of the busies ...
21-09-2025
BBC 1
Sabbath Rest
Sean Fletcher travels to Chester to explore the deep meaning of the Sabbath and why the ancient teachings on the importance of rest are still so relevant today. \n\nIn Chester, ...
14-09-2025
BBC 1
Faith In The Countryside
The Rev Kate Bottley travels to Lincolnshire to meet Christians dedicated to alleviating loneliness, bringing communities together and ensuring church doors remain open. \n\nHer ...
07-09-2025
BBC 1
School Hymns
Mark De-Lisser celebrates how hymns sung in childhood can inspire us throughout our lives, and he launches a very special vote to find the nation’s favourite school assemb ...
31-08-2025
BBC 1
Young Chorister Of The Year - Final
Aled Jones and the Rev Kate Bottley host the final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester. Three junior choristers aged 11 to 13 and ...
12-10-2025
BBC 1
Celebrating 60 Years
Marking the year Songs of Praise turns 60, Aled Jones celebrates at St George’s Chapel in Windsor with Christian stories that exemplify the spirit of the series. Aled and ...
24-01-2021
BBC 1
Remembrance Sunday
Katherine Jenkins marks Remembrance Sunday at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, the oldest air academy in the world. She meets cadets and the head padre to discover how remembrance ...
12-11-2023
BBC 1
Building Christian Communities
The Rev Kate Bottley is in Gloucester Cathedral’s Workshop of St Peter to explore the work of its stonemasons throughout its long history, even learning some of their trad ...
12-03-2023
BBC 1
Mothering Sunday
It’s Mothering Sunday, and Claire McCollum is meeting women inspired by their faith to nurture and care for others.\n \nIn Leicester, Claire visits a ‘Baby Basics&rs ...
30-03-2025
BBC 1
Scripture Union And The Queen
Katherine Jenkins hosts a special programme as Songs of Praise joins Her Majesty the Queen to celebrate 150 years of the Christian charity Scripture Union. We discover how one m ...
14-01-2018
BBC 1
The Sacred Sound Of The Organ
Katherine Jenkins visits Pembroke College Chapel in Cambridge to explore the sacred sound of the church organ and to meet organist virtuoso and star of the Proms, Anna Lapwood. ...
24-09-2023
BBC 1
New Beginnings
The Rev Kate Bottley celebrates spring on a farm run by Christians in Derbyshire. Owners Roger and Beryl have offered a fresh start to local young people for 40 years by giving ...
18-03-2018
BBC 1
Celebrating Gospel Music Today
Renowned choir director Mark De-Lisser celebrates gospel, his favourite genre of music, by meeting Christians at the heart of the gospel community and exploring the message behi ...
13-10-2024
BBC 1
The Uk’s Favourite Carol
From the glorious surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Aled Jones counts down the top ten carols, as voted for by viewers in a UK-wide online poll. With an array ...
20-12-2020
BBC 1