In my view the best half-hour on Australian and British TV is the BBC’s Songs of Praise.

I emailed asking for the ‘top 50’

Got a nice letter back saying they hadn’t worked that out, but had done a Favourite Hymns program (below).

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

Songs of Praise Factsheet

~~~

Favourite hymns

06/01/02

From

The Royal Albert Hall

Presented by

Aled Jones

With

CONDUCTOR

Paul Leddington Wright

ORGANIST

John Scott, Director of Music at St. Paul’s Cathedral. John Scott also conducted the St. Paul’s Cathedral Choristers “Gaelic Blessing”.

BBC SONGS OF PRAISE Core Choir

A choir consisting of 450 people had been assembled for the event. The choirs are from Northampton, Maidenhead, Cambridge, and Coventry with

The London Welsh Male Voice Choir also part of this core choir.

STAGE CHOIR

Are made up of the Royal Choral Society; The Saint Michael’s Singers; St. Paul’s Cathedral Choristers and the Croydon Seventh-Day Adventist Gospel Choir.

Orchestra

The main singing is accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra led by Rebecca Turner.

THE BAND

Assembled by Steve Thompson –

Keyboards STEVE A. THOMPSON; 2nd Keyboards MARK WALKER; Drums GABRIEL ALONSO; Bass ROY JOHNSON; Guitar PAUL REID; Trombone NICK PARREN-SMITH; Trumpet RAUL D’OLIVEIRA; Saxophone STEVE GREGORY

BACKING VOCALISTS VELVETA THOMPSON; TRACEY RIGGAN; DAVE MORRIS

TRUMPETERS OF THE LIFE GUARDS

4 trumpeters & 3 trombonists from the Band of the Life Guards – under the Musical Direction of Major Malcolm J. Torrent. The Trumpeters appear by permission of Colonel HPD Massey (Commander Household Cavalry).

GLORIA GAYNOR ‘AMAZING GRACE’

DANIEL O’DONNELL ‘MAKE ME A CHANNEL OF YOUR PEACE’

JONATHAN VEIRA ‘HOW GREAT THOU ART’

Location

The Royal Albert Hall

http://www.theroyalalberthall.com

Hymns/Songs

Opening Signature tune

Composed by: Robert Prizeman

Performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra

Conducted by: Paul Leddington Wright

Arranger: Goff Richards

Not available commercially

O For a Thousand Tongues to sing

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no. 241

Composer: Thomas Jarman

Words: Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)

Arranger: Chris Hazell

Shine Jesus Shine

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.304

Composer: Graham Kendrick

Arranger: James Whitbourn

Performed by: Graham Kendrick with 8 musicians assembled by Steve A. Thompson & backing vocalists Velveta Thompson, Tracey Riggan, Dave Morris and audience

Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.141 & 142

Words: William Williams (1717 – 1791), Peter Williams (1727 – 96) and others

Tune: Cwm Rhodda

Composer: John Hughes (1873 – 1932)

Make me a Channel of Your Peace

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.337

Composer: Sebastian Temple

Arranger: John Tate

Performed by: Daniel O’Donnell

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.324

Composer: Hubert Parry (1848 – 1914)

Arranger: Robert Ramskill

How Great Thou Art

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.324

Performed by: Jonathan Veira

Composer: Hubert Parry (1848 – 1914),

Words: J.G Whittier (1807 – 1892)

Arranger: Robert Ramskill

Amazing Grace

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.282

Performed by: Gloria Gaynor

Words: John Newton (1725 – 1807) VV 1 – 5, Anon V.7

Arranger: Jonathan Rathbone

The Day Thou Gavest

Source: BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook no.394

Tune: St. Clement

Words: John Ellerton (1826 – 1893)

Composer: C.C Scholefield (1839 -1904)

Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright

SONGS OF PRAISE CLOSING SIG.

Composed by: Robert Prizeman

Performed by: BBC Concert Orchestra

Conducted by: Paul Leddington Wright

Arranged by: Goff Richards

A selection of these hymns are available on the Songs of Praise CD:

Title: Songs of Praise – Your Favourite Hymns and Music

ISBN : 84911 00692

BBC Worldwide

If you are unable to obtain the CD on the high street, you may be able to order direct from the BBC. The telephone number for the ‘BBC Shop’ is 0207 765 0025. You can also purchase the CD online at http://www.bbcshop.com.