Christmas religious programming across the BBC
Live worship, conversation, reflection, tradition and music are all part of this year’s Christmas religious offering from the BBC across TV and radio, giving audiences the opportunity to partake in the festive season in their own personal way.
Published: 23 November 2015
Throughout the festive period, the BBC offers up many ways for audiences to take-part and celebrate Christmas be it via music, tradition, reflection, conversation or live worship.
The programming schedule also sees the return of some firm favourites from Advent to New Year.
Christmas worship on BBC One will broadcast from two magnificent settings: Midnight Mass live on Christmas Eve from the Catholic St George’s Cathedral in Southwark and the Christmas Day Service live from beautiful Bath Abbey.
BBC Radio 4’s Christmas festivities begin as this year’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols live on Christmas Eve comes from the candlelit chapel of Kings College Cambridge; Midnight Mass comes live from Brentwood (RC) Cathedral in Essex, and for the Christmas Morning Service, the Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, will preach from Ripon Cathedral, which is situated in the beautiful North Yorkshire medieval market town. On Christmas Night, as part of BBC Radio 3’s Northern Lights season, religious writer Andrew Brown writes movingly for The Essay on his memories of Christmas in Sweden.
The much-loved Christmas Eve celebration of carols and readings, Carols From King’s, is one of the long-standing BBC traditions in its festive TV programming schedule and is now in its 61st year. A solo chorister sings Once In Royal David's City and heralds a glorious feast of Christmas words and music from the candlelit fan-vaulted splendour of the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge on BBC Two.
A short reflection, Love Came Down At Christmas, airs on BBC One on Christmas Day night. Olivier Award-winning actor Alex Jennings reads the opening 14 verses of John’s Gospel, one of the best-loved and most poetic passages of the Bible. Recorded in the beautiful setting of St Alban’s Church in Bristol, this timeless evocation of the Incarnation leads us into a new choral setting by David Ogden of the Christina Rossetti poem Love Came Down At Christmas, sung by the Exultate Singers.
In the run-up to Christmas on Sunday 20 December, the Christmas Big Sing returns to BBC One with an audience of 5,000 Songs of Praise viewers at the Royal Albert Hall. Presented by David Grant and Sally Magnusson, the line-up includes special guests Ronan Keating, quizmaster Alexander Armstrong, Ruby Turner and star of The Lion King, Shaun Escoffery. From the start of Advent, Fern Britton talks to different celebrity guests including Lord Ashdown, Karren Brady (Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge), Linford Christie and Shane Lynch about their life, their career and their beliefs which have shaped them, in Fern Britton Meets on BBC One.
On BBC Radio 2, Clare Balding meets director, actor and novelist Julian Fellowes who’ll be talking about the last episode of Downtown Abbey, and Canon Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s Piccadilly, who will be reflecting on the importance of Christmas in this year’s edition of Good Morning Christmas live on Christmas Day.
Aaqil Ahmed, BBC Head of Religion & Ethics, says: “The BBC’s religious programming across TV and radio continues its fine tradition of bringing communities together and reflecting what is important to many of our viewers and listeners with live broadcasts on Christmas Eve from St George’s Cathedral Southwark, a culturally and ethnically diverse area of South London, and Christmas morning live from the stunning location of Bath Abbey. Throughout the festive period, the BBC offers up many ways for audiences to take part and celebrate Christmas, be it via music, tradition, reflection, conversation or live worship.”
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BBC One
Fern Britton Meets… returns for its seventh series on BBC One in the run-up to Christmas. To mark this season of Advent, there are four hour-long episodes in which Fern Britton talks to a different celebrity guest each week about their life, their career and the beliefs which have shaped them.
This year’s guests include former leader of the Liberal Democrats Lord Ashdown; one of Britain’s best known businesswomen and stars of The Apprentice, Karren Brady, Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge; Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European Gold Medal sprinter Linford Christie; and founder member of Boyzone, Shane Lynch.
From Advent to New Year, Songs of Praise presents some special programmes with inspiring hymns, carols and stories of faith from around the UK. The first Sunday in Advent (29 November) Songs of Praise visits Chatsworth House as it prepares to welcome 100,000 visitors for Christmas and where we’ll see John Craven try his hand at making an Advent wreath. There's also an interview from Albert Square as EastEnders actress June Brown reveals how her personal faith has shaped the character of Dot Branning. Plus The Osmonds will be performing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
Bake-Off favourite Mary Berry lets Songs of Praise into her home to talk family memories from Christmas for the third Sunday in Advent (13 December). She gathers some of her family members and bakes a Christmas cake. Plus world-class violinist Andre Rieu talks about his time as a choirboy and Kim Wilde puts on her dancing shoes to reveal the story of her favourite Christmas carol, Deck the Halls, which started life as a Welsh folk song.
Firm favourite The Christmas Big Sing is back on Sunday 20 December from The Royal Albert Hall. A feast of carols and festive music, it is hosted by Sally Magnusson and David Grant and features special guests Ronan Keating, quizmaster Alexander Armstrong, Ruby Turner and star of The Lion King, Shaun Escoffery. A 500-strong choir and the Big Sing Orchestra lead the audience in seasonal favourites including Joy To The World, On Christmas Night and O Come, All Ye Faithful.
This year’s live Christmas Eve Mass on BBC One comes from the spectacular setting of St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Southwark, South London. The service will be led by the Archbishop of Southwark, The Most Reverend Peter Smith, with prayers to reflect the Cathedral’s international congregation. The Cathedral Choirs will sing John Tavener’s God Is With Us and Silent Night and lead the congregation in other favourite carols including Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come, All Ye Faithful and O Little Town of Bethlehem.
The Christmas Day Service on BBC One will be broadcast live from the historic Bath Abbey where Christians have worshipped since the 4th century. Bringing us right up to date, the service will be led by The Revd Edward Mason, Rector of the Abbey, and Revd Claire Robson. There’ll be contributions from visitors returning from Zambia and Southern India reminding us of the wider Christian family joining us in celebrations around the world. There’s a performance from the children’s choir Melody Makers and the Abbey Choir will lead the congregation in a number of well-known Christmas Carols.
The animated feature film, On Angel Wings, is repeated on BBC One this Christmas. The magical re-working of the nativity story is based on the book by leading storyteller Michael Morpurgo - with an all-star voice cast including Michael Gambon, Juliet Stevenson, Dominic Cooper and Colin McFarlane. It shares the special experience of a little shepherd boy who meets the Angel Gabriel and travels with him on a journey to Bethlehem to meet the newborn king, Jesus. This special animated story is told through the boy’s own eyes, many years later, as he recounts his experience to his grandchildren on Christmas night.
David Suchet: In The Footsteps Of St Paul will also be repeated on BBC One during the Christmas season. Two thousand years ago, St Paul transformed the fledgling Jesus movement into a new global religion and the dominant force in Western civilisation. David Suchet begins a personal journey in search of this enigmatic man. He explores the latest archaeological and historical research associated with the Paul story to help better understand this charismatic man and his mission.
On New Year’s Day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, reflects on some of the major global events in the year just gone, and visits a school in Kent to hear the inspiring stories of pupils who are aiming for a bright future in 2016.
BBC Two
Christmas Eve heralds Carols from King’s - this traditional and much-loved celebration of the birth of Christ is, for many, the true start of Christmas. A solo chorister sings Once In Royal David's City and heralds a glorious feast of Christmas words and music from the candlelit fan-vaulted splendour of the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge. The world-famous Choir, directed by Stephen Cleobury, sing carols old and new including In Dulci Jubilo, The Angel Gabriel, Away in a Manger, Dormi Jesu (Rutter), O Holy Night, De Virgine Maria (Rutti), O Magnum Mysterium (Ola Gjeilo) and O Come All Ye Faithful. The Christmas story is told in the words of the King James Bible and in poems by Elizabeth Jennings, Thomas Merton and Christina Rossetti.
BBC Radio 4
Sunday Worship (20 December) marks the last in the Advent series ‘Learning to see’ from the Methodist College Belfast. Led by the Rev Donald Ker, the Preacher is the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Pat Storey, who was the UK’s first female bishop when she was appointed in the Church of Ireland and is a former pupil of ‘Methody’. Readings will include Luke 1:46-56 and John 21:4-13 and carols sung by the famous Methodist College Choir include, O Little Town (arr. Bob Chilcott), Suantraí ár Slánaitheora [The Saviour’s Lullaby] (arr. Fiontán O’Cearbhaill), A Maiden Most Gentle (arr. Andrew Carter), Silent Night (Franz Gruber arr. Bob Chilcott), Shepherd’s Carol (Bob Chilcott), The Colours of Christmas (John Rutter), What Child Is This? (Thomas Hewitt Jones), Spanish Carol (arr. Andrew Carter), and Once in Royal (arr Philip Stopford).
Yule - ‘Yuletide’ can sometimes be used to describe the Christmas season. However, the pagan festival of ‘Yule’ goes back long before Christianity. The Winter Solstice, which it marks, has been celebrated for millennia. The Norse peoples viewed it as a time for feasting and merrymaking. Traditional customs such as the Yule log, the decorated tree, and wassailing can all be traced back to Norse origins. In Beyond Belief (21 December), the day of the Winter Solstice, Ernie Rea and guests will discuss the history and influence of the festival of Yule. They will be exploring how these non-Christian traditions have been incorporated into the Christian celebration of Christmas and how modern Pagans blend Christmas with their traditions and beliefs. And on 28 December Ernie Rea will be in conversation with guests about the place of faith in today's complex world.
The Daily Service is a space for spiritual reflection with a bible reading, prayer and a range of Christian music. Over the Christmas period, the programme will come from Northern Ireland (21 December) with The day of the Lord: Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11. On 22 December the theme is Glimpses of Glory – Shout for Joy!, led by Katharine Longworth the service will come live from Emmanuel Church Didsbury, the home of the Daily Service. On 23 December the theme is Glimpses of Glory - The Light of the World, direct from King’s College, Cambridge with the King's Choral Scholars, directed by Stephen Cleobury.
For many around the world, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, live from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve marks the beginning of Christmas. It is based around nine Bible readings which tell the story of the loving purposes of God. They are interspersed with carols old and new, sung by the world-famous chapel choir who also lead the congregation in traditional Christmas hymns where BBC Radio 4 will come live from the Chapel. Hymns will include Once in Royal David's City (desc. David Willcocks), Ding, Dong, Merrily on High (David Willcocks), It came upon the midnight clear (desc. Stephen Cleobury), In The Bleak Midwinter (Harold Darke), and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (arr. David Willcocks).
This year’s Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve comes live from the Roman Catholic Brentwood Cathedral in Essex. The service is led by the Bishop of Brentwood, the Rt Rev Alan Williams, and the preacher is the Dean, Fr Martin Boland. Music includes hymns O Come All Ye Faithful, On Christmas Night all Christians Sing and Hark! The herald angels sing. Brentwood Cathedral Choir is directed by Andrew Wright and the organist is Stephen King.
The Bishop of the Church of England's newest diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales who 'muses' on social media as a 'restless bishop', will preach for BBC Radio 4's Christmas Service (Christmas Day, 0900-0945). Nick Baines is Bishop of Leeds but will preach from Ripon cathedral, situated in the beautiful North Yorkshire Medieval market town. Monasteries have stood in this ancient city since the 7th century and the city and cathedral community retain their long standing and intimate link with the countryside around. Stables and shepherds are practical realities for this community, which should serve to make this Christmas service something special. The Organist and Director of Music is Andrew Bryden and the Assistant Director of Music is Tim Harper.
The Christmas Meditation brings Christmas day to a close with Sound of Silence, a reflection on the meaning of Christmas with Tina Beattie, theologian and writer. Tina looks back on 2015 and tells us how events have influenced her Christmas, for she’s had a momentous year both professionally and personally. Well known as part of the worldwide group known as the Catholic Women Speak Network, she has helped to publish an anthology of catholic women’s writings – theological reflections and personal stories which tell of the complex and messy realities of family life and of the joys and struggles experienced by women in different cultures and contexts. But it is also her first year as a grandmother and she recalls the birth of her own son, on Boxing Day. He is now a father, and her memories reflect on how generations of family cope with the fears and hopes of the coming year.
The sign over the door of Talbot House, a few miles behind the front line in Great War Belgium read 'All Rank Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here'. It was founded by Army Padre, The Rev'd Philip 'Tubby' Clayton, MC, in December 1915 when there was little seasonal Peace and Goodwill at the Western Front. 'Toc H' (as it was known in the wireless-operators' code of the day) was a place of rest and refuge for soldiers, where throughout the war, all ranks mixed as equals. In peacetime, Toc H became an international Christian organisation, which has for 100 years promoted principles of Friendship, Service, Fair-mindedness and bringing about The Kingdom of God. Sunday Worship (27 December) will be led by The Rev'd Bertrand Olivier, Clayton's successor at the Toc H guild church of All Hallows-by-the-Tower, and the preacher is the Deputy Chaplain General & Archdeacon to the Army, The Venerable Peter Eagles. Composer Bob Chilcott conducts the London Oriana Choir who join the All Hallows' congregation to sing hymns and carols, as well as some of his own seasonal music, accompanied by organist Jonathan Melling.
Prayer for the Day on 19 December and over the Christmas week (21 – 25 December) will include special reflection and prayer to begin the day from Cardinal Vincent Nichols. On 26 December and from 28 December - 1 January a spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day will come from the Rev'd Mary Stallard, Canon in the Church in Wales.
Thought for the Day contributors for the festive period (19 December to 1 January) will include Martin Wroe, Bishop James Jones, Rev Lucy Winkett, Rt Rev Graham James, John Bell, Rev Dr Rob Marshall, Rev Dr Jane Leach, Anne Atkins, Rev Dr Giles Fraser and Rt Rev Nick Baines.
Act of Worship on New Year’s Day will be led by The Rev Ernie Rea.
BBC Radio 3
As part of BBC Radio 3’s Northern Lights season, five essayists reflect on the season of Christmas from a variety of perspectives in The Essay: Religion in the North (21-25 December). Including novelist Hanne Orstavik on her childhood memories of Sami Winter Solstice legends (21 December), environmental project leader with the Swedish Church, Per Rosenberg, on the wooden churches of Scandinavia and symbolic importance of the forest (22 December), Dr Karl Seigried, founder of the Norse Mythology Blog, on Nordic Yule myths and why Norse mythology still speaks to people a thousand years after the Christian conversion of Scandinavia (23 December), author Lars Petter Sveen on coming out as a Christian in an atheist family where stars weren’t allowed on the Christmas tree (24 December) and journalist Andrew Brown, who writes on religion for The Guardian, on Swedish Christmas traditions (25 December).
Choral Evensong on 20 December is live from Chester Cathedral. The introit is Adam lay ybounden (Howard Skempton) with responses from Smith and Anthem, Ad te levavi (White). Choral Evensong on 23 December offers an archive broadcast from St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City, first broadcast at Christmastide in 2007.
On Christmas Day, BBC Radio 3 broadcasts A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, recorded from the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve, and on 30 December Choral Evensong comes live with the Rodolphus Choir at St Gabriel's, Pimlico. The Introit is Sing lullaby (Howells) with responses from Ayleward and Anthem, Long, long ago (Howells).
BBC Radio 2
On Christmas Day, BBC Radio 2 will broadcast The Sunday Hour Special – A Celebration of Christmas Stories (6-8am), with presenter Diane Louise Jordan wishing listeners a very Merry Christmas with a feast of Christmas stories and poems. Diane will be joined by writers, storytellers and actors to hear about their favourite yuletide tales, their inspiration in bringing much-loved Christmas characters to life and how they go about creating a Christmas classic. Readings and poems from well-known voices add to the festive flavour, and special celebrity guests bring a hint of sparkle to this special morning - all this, alongside favourite carols and Christmas songs, bringing tidings of comfort and joy.
Following on from this on BBC Radio 2, Clare Balding will be live in the studio on Christmas Day to say Good Morning Christmas (8-10am). Her guests include screenwriter, director, actor and novelist Julian Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, who will be talking about the very last episode of Downton Abbey and his new work for 2016. Canon Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James's Piccadilly, will be reflecting on the importance of Christmas, and Clare will be talking to some of the people who are making Christmas particularly special for others. Plus there will be live music from folk duo Belshazzar's Feast.
Pressing Pause (Thursday 31 December) gives listeners a completely different perspective on the major events of 2015, looking at them through the prism of 'Pause For Thought'. Hosted by Vanessa Feltz, this highly emotional hour will tell the story of the biggest events of 2015 through an intricately woven montage of news archive, music and the best of BBC Radio 2’s 'Pause For Thought'.
BBC Northern Ireland TV & Radio
On Sunday 20 December BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship and BBC Radio Ulster’s Morning Service from 10.15am will be coming from Methodist College in Belfast. The service will be led by Bishop Pat Storey, the UK and Ireland’s first female bishop and a former pupil at the school. The music will be by the Methody Chapel choir under the direction of Ruth McCartney.
Later in the day, just after the six o’clock news, there is a one-hour Praise Revival Christmas Special presented by Belfast-born and internationally acclaimed singer songwriter Robin Mark. With a superb house band, under the direction of Jonathan Rea, singers like Brian Houston, Nathan Jess, Dana Masters, Tom McConnell and Eilidh Patterson will perform to a small invited audience. Celebrate Christmas with the best of local contemporary Christian artists.
Joy At Christmas on Tuesday 22 December at 10.35pm on BBC One Northern Ireland will be an evening with internationally acclaimed modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty. Celebrate the season with Keith and Kristyn as the Northern Ireland couple transport us Stateside with their band of virtuoso musicians for an evening of music. Recorded at the Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, enjoy Christmas with a selection of traditional Carols combined with Keith and Kristyn’s own songs.
On Christmas Day, Canon Noel Battye introduces the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from the studio with readings by BBC Radio Ulster presenters and contributors and featuring recent recordings from local choirs. The full order of service is available at bbc.co.uk/radioulster. BBC Radio Ulster Carol Service is on at 7am and repeated the same day at 6pm.
BBC Radio Scotland
Artists, writers and musicians, from Christian denominations across Scotland, are taking over Thought For The Day for the first week of Advent on BBC Radio Scotland (30 November - 4 December). The five contributors are the artist Jo Lo Mo - John Lowrie Morrison; Jo Clifford, the transgender playwright who wrote ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven’; actress Lorraine McIntosh, also of the band Deacon Blue; Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian; and composer James MacMillan.
BBC Radio Scotland will be taking the themes of ‘welcome’ and ‘home’ for their Christmas programmes. They will be hearing stories of welcome from people who have opened up their homes to refugees now and in the past. Christmas Morning with Cathy Macdonald and Ricky Ross will feature well-known Scots who will be thinking of home back in Scotland at this time, including Gail Porter and Carol Kirkwood. They will also hear from those who have left their homes, and from those communities whose lives have been enriched by welcoming the stranger.
This year’s BBC Radio Scotland Watchnight Service will tell stories from people working on the Mercy Ships, with words and music from their Carol Concert at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, led by the Cathedral Choir.
BBC Radio Cymru
Radio Cymru’s regular religious programmes Bwrw Golwg, Yr Oedfa and Caniadaeth y Cysegr will continue over the festive period and, in addition, there will be the following specials: Oedfa’r Nadolig - an hour-long festive service for Christmas morning with Catrin and Ifan Roberts, Pontyberem; and Naw Llith a Charol - an hour-long service on Christmas Eve based around nine Bible readings, interspersed with Christmas hymns and carols sung by Côr Seiriol.
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales' Christmas Celebration broadcasts on 25 December (0730-0830). Carols, songs and the message of Christmas all come from Kings Church, Newport.
Roy Jenkins explores the Christmas story through the eyes of refugees in All Things Considered on BBC Radio Wales on 20 December (0903-0931).
BBC Local Radio
From open air services in town squares and parks to cathedrals, churches and theatres - BBC Local Radio joins forces with the community to celebrate Christmas with carol concerts across England.
