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Press Releases
BBC Religion & Ethics unveils Yuletide offering
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Thought-provoking, stimulating, mystical and musical – just some of the themes in
BBC Religion & Ethics' package of radio and television programmes for the Christmas and New Year
season.
Rageh Omaar investigates the Dead Sea Scrolls on BBC Four.
Discovered in 1947 the
scrolls rocked the academic world and were the biblical find of the age and it was
hoped they would shed light on the birth of Christianity and the Jewish world of
the first century.
Rageh uncovers the truth behind the scrolls and discovers that
the story is far from over.
In The Lost Gospels (BBC Four), Anglican priest Peter Owen-Jones presents a
fascinating exploration into the vast number of ancient Christian texts that did
not make it into the New Testament.
Shocking and challenging, these were works in
which Jesus did not die, but took revenge on his enemies and kissed Mary Magdalene
on the mouth. A Jesus unrecognisable from today's traditional depictions.
Over on BBC One, What the World Needs Now sees Carrie and David Grant travel the
country in search of the true meaning and origins of Advent.
They will introduce an
entertaining mix of interviews, features and seasonal music. The programme includes St Paul's Canon Lucy
Winkett's pilgrimage from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
Still on BBC One, in the run up to Christmas, Songs of Praise supplies an evening
of Candlelit Carols from the stunning setting of Lichfield Cathedral, where the
OperaBabes sing their version of In The Bleak Midwinter. On Christmas Eve they
lead an evening of traditional carols.
And in the final Songs of Praise of the
year, Aled Jones hosts the annual Big Sing Party from London's Royal Albert Hall,
and is joined by Katherine Jenkins and G4.
Midnight Mass is broadcast live on BBC One from Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral and is led by Archbishop Patrick Kelly.
Joy To The World on Christmas Day morning on BBC One comes live from St Mary's
Church, Ealing in west London.
The service is led by the Rev Steve Paynter and includes a
modern retelling of the Christmas Story. Carols include traditional favourites and
more contemporary music.
BBC Two's Christmas offering includes Private Life Of A Christmas Masterpiece which takes an in-depth look at three of the key pieces of religious art relating to
Christmas.
They are The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck; Census At Bethlehem by Pieter Bruegel; and Te Tamari No Atua (God's
Child) by Pual Gauguin.
BBC Two also joins the world-famous chapel choir for Carols from King's, with
carols old and new including O Come All Ye Faithful and It Came Upon the
Midnight Clear (also on BBC Radio 3).
New for BBC Radio 4 is
Divine Art. Art historian Brian Sewell examines the unique and often tumultuous
relationship between the Anglican Church and its contemporary artists and asks, in
his own inimitable fashion, if this relationship has successfully stood the test of
time.
Radio 4 listeners have a chance to eavesdrop on Christmas In The Cathedral and get
an intriguing insight into life in the cloisters at Salisbury.
Hear how everyone –
from the Dean to the cleaners - copes with the busiest time of year and how the
choristers feel about singing the same carols dozens of times over at Christmas.
Radio 4's sumptuous Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols marks the traditional start
of Christmas for many listeners around the world.
Broadcast live from the Chapel
of King's College, Cambridge, this year's service includes traditional
favourites but also a new commission from the renowned British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage.
Services on Radio 4 include Sunday Worship from St Mary's Church, Aberavon in
Wales, which looks at the classic themes of Death,
Judgement, Hell and Heaven.
Christmas Morning Service comes from the village
church setting of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon in Cheshire where Canon Trevor Dennis (Vice Dean of Chester Cathedral) explores the contrasting way in which different
gospel writers tell the story of Christ's birth.
Midnight Mass features festive
hymns and carols from Clifton Cathedral, Bristol.
Other radio highlights include A Yorkshire Christmas (Radio 4); Belief (Radio 3)
with Joan Bakewell; Christmas Meditation (Radio 4) presented by Archbishop Desmond
Tutu; and a special Christmas edition of Good Morning Sunday (Radio 2).
A new series of Beyond Belief (Radio 4) begins on New Year's Day.
And the
Archbishop Of Canterbury's New Year Message (BBC Two, repeated on BBC One) sees
Rowan Williams contemplate the year gone by and look forward to the challenges of
the year to come.
Notes to Editors
Please note: times and dates below are subject to change.
BBC Television Christmas and New Year
Sunday 3 December 2006
BBC One, 10am, Advent 1 - What The World Needs Now
Monday 4 December 2006
BBC Four, 9pm, The Lost Gospels
Tuesday 5 December 2006
BBC Four, 9pm, The Dead Sea Scrolls
Sunday 10 December 2006
BBC One, 10am, Advent 2 - What The World Needs Now
Sunday 17 December 2006
BBC One, 10am, Advent 3 - What The World Needs Now
BBC One, Songs of Praise - Carols from Lichfield Cathedral
Sunday 24 December 2006
BBC One, 10am, Advent 4 - What The World Needs Now
BBC One, Songs of Praise - Thursford Christmas Fayre
BBC Two, Carols from King's, A Celebration of Christmas from
King's College, Cambridge
BBC One, 11.30pm, Midnight Mass - Liverpool Catholic Cathedral - live
Monday 25 December 2006
BBC One, 10-11am, Joy To The World - Ealing, London - live
BBC One, Christmas short - a carol and a reading for
Christmas Day
BBC Two, Private Life Of A Christmas Masterpiece
Sunday 31 December 2006
BBC One, 10-11am, Heaven And Earth
BBC One, Songs of Praise - Big Sing Party from Royal Albert Hall
BBC Two, Archbishop Of Canterbury's New Year Message
Monday 1 January 2007
BBC One, lunchtime, Archbishop Of Canterbury's New Year Message (repeat from BBC Two)
BBC Radio Christmas and New Year
Wednesday 13 December 2006
Radio 3, The Reconciler
Sunday 17 December 2006
Radio 4, 8.10am, Sunday Worship
Radio 3, 4pm, Choral Evensong
Tuesday 19 December 2006
Radio 4, 1.30pm, Christmas In The Cathedral
Wednesday 20 December 2006
Radio 3, 4pm, Choral Evensong - live
Saturday 23 December 2006
Radio 4, 3.30pm, Christmas In The Cathedral (repeat)
Christmas week
Radio 3, Belief
Christmas week (Monday-Friday)
Radio 4, 9.45am, Daily Service
(NB: this programme does not go out on Christmas Day)
Radio 4, 3.45pm, Divine Art
Sunday 24 December 2006
Radio 2, Good Morning Sunday
Radio 4, 8.10am, Sunday Worship
Radio 4, 3.02pm, Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols
Radio 4, 11.30pm, Midnight Mass
Christmas Day - Monday 25 December 2006
Radio 2, Good Morning Christmas
Radio 4, 6.05am, A Yorkshire Christmas
Radio 4, 9.02am, Christmas Service
Radio 4, 12.15am, Christmas Meditation
Boxing Day - Tuesday 26 December 2006
Radio 4, Christmas In The Cathedral
Monday 1 January 2007
Radio 4, Beyond Belief
Date to be confirmed
Radio 3, Carols from King's repeat
Full details of all programmes, including updated transmission times, are available at bbc.co.uk/religion.
LK/JA
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