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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. Anna demonstrates the chapel’s 17th-century organ and the rich variety of sound at the fingertips of the player, creating the perfect sound for worship. Katherine discovers the history behind the instrument, when it first entered churches and cathedrals across Europe, and how it influenced and defined church music. A choir directed by Anna at Pembroke College performs for Katherine, and we hear what they love about singing with the organ and how it brings them closer to God. \n \nPam Rhodes visits a recently closed church in London to meet Martin Renshaw from Pipe up for Pipe Organs, a charity that saves organs from destruction. Pam finds out about the plight facing historic organs across the UK, which are often removed or destroyed in the process of redevelopment, and how his charity seeks to rehome them. One example of his charity’s work is a music school in Hackney that is now home to a successfully restored organ that came from a church in County Durham. Pam visits the school and speaks to its director, Fiona Paquette, to find out how the introduction of the historic instrument has inspired a fresh new interest and uptake in organ students.\n \nWith hymns new and old, featuring congregations and organs from across the UK celebrating some of the greatest pieces of organ music ever written and a special duet with Katherine Jenkins and Aled Jones in Westminster Abbey.

Source: BBC 1