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Mica Paris's Faith Journey

Renowned choir director and vocal coach Mark De-Lisser joins soul legend Mica Paris as she shares her journey of faith.\n \nIt’s a story that took Mica from a childhood in church, through fame and fortune, love and loss and ultimately back to gospel music. Mica takes Mark to the Pentecostal church in south London where her grandparents were pastors and where, as a child, she spent time every day of the week. She recalls those happy years when she discovered her gift of singing, quickly becoming a child sensation and touring churches all over the UK.\n \nWith her sister Alysha, Mica speaks about the strength of their family unit. The sisters speak movingly about the loss of their brother, who was murdered in 2001, and how their faith and the power of prayer helped them through.\n \nAt Westminster Abbey, Mica tells Mark about the experience of singing at a vigil following 9/11, which came just a few months after her brother’s death. She sang Amazing Grace and speaks about the power of that song to bring comfort.\n \nIn West Drayton, Mark meets Mica’s good friend Paul Johnson, himself a singer who went from the church to the charts in the 1980s, who is now principal of a college. Mica often leads workshops with the students, helping with confidence and communication skills and sharing lessons from her extraordinary life and career.\n \nAnd finally with Bazil Meade, the original pioneer of UK gospel music, Mica explains how being invited to make a documentary on the origins of gospel songs last year reconnected her to faith and inspired her to make her first gospel album. She describes how singing 'the old church songs' is a deeply spiritual experience that transforms and transports her.\n \nFeaturing favourite hymns and three exclusive gospel performances from Mica herself accompanied by the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir.

Source: BBC 1