General:
| Pam Rhodes celebrates the contribution that women make to inspirational Christian music. She meets the Hymn writer whose composition helped the Queen celebrate her Golden Jubilee, a singer who gains her inspiration from Saint Columba's Lindisfarne and a modern hymn writer who was drawn to faith by joining a church choir. Hymns all written by women include Blessed Assurance, Just as I am, and When I was Lost. |
| BERNADETTE FARRELL is one of Britain's leading liturgical composers, a former member of the St. Thomas More Group in London, and an acclaimed pastoral musician. Since the 1970s, she has been a leader in the renewal of Catholic worship both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
MARGARET RIZZA studied at the Royal College of Music, London, and completed her training in Italy. She has utilized her gifts as a world-class opera singer, a broadcaster, and a choral conductor throughout her career. From 1977 to 1994 she taught singing at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama. Since 1986, Margaret has dedicated herself to the world of spirituality and to the wider aspect of music in the community. She leads many retreats, days of prayer, days of music and meditation, and vocal and choral workshops. Margaret has written many CDs including Fountain of Life (1997) and Fire of Love (1998) and recently topped the classical charts with her collection of Taizé music. JOANNE HOGG is best known as the singer and song writer with the band IONA. She was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and still lives in Northern Ireland with her husband and children. Joanne's first solo album came out in 1999 and is called "Looking into Light" it features a collection of some of Joanne's favourite old hymns arranged in her own unique style. She is now working on a new solo album based on lullabies. JUNE BOYCE-TILLMAN is Professor of Applied Music at King Alfred's College, Winchester. She is a prolific hymn and song writer and in July 2006 published a book of her music "A Rainbow to Heaven" which includes over 160 hymns, songs and chants. She has written much and spoken about women's role in church music and music in general. She has encouraged the promotion of music by women and holds workshops for women on composing. In 1993 June, along with her friend and fellow hymn writer Janet Wooten, published a hymn book called "Reflecting Praise" which is a collection of hymns written or composed by women. KATE SIMMONDS . Until very recently, Kate and her husband Miles headed up the large worship team at Church of Christ the King, Brighton where a number of other well-known worship leaders and songwriters - Stuart Townend, Dave Fellingham, Paul Oakley and Phatfish - are also based, but in December 2006 they moved to Sydney, Australia to be part of Bridgeway Community Church in Northern Beaches, part of New Frontiers, to help build the local church. As well as appearing on numerous live worship albums she has released three solo albums: a live worship album, 'Redemption Songs' (2005), 'Heart and Soul', (2002) a mixture of congregational worship songs and faith-building contemporary songs, and 'One day' (2000). |
| SONGS OF PRAISE SIGNATURE TUNE
Composer: Robert Prizeman Performers: Robert Prizeman, Maurice Murphy, Steven Geraghty Not commercially available. BBC Songs of Praise Hymnbook Oxford University Press BBC Books 1997 ISBN 0 19 147325-1 this compilation © Oxford University Press 1997 Item One: Name: BLESSED ASSURANCE Words: Fanny Crosby (Frances Van Alstyne) (1820-1915) Music: Phoebe Knapp (1839-1908) Tune: Blessed Assurance From: SoP Hymnbook No. 288 Performers: Sellers International Band / Colne Valley Male Voice Choir / Marsh Ladies Choir / Huddersfield Choral Society Junior choir Conductor: Gordon Stewart First broadcast on Songs of Praise: Friends - 7/5/2006 Location: St Thomas C of E Church, Manchester Road, Huddersfield HD1 3JA Item Two: Name: TAKE MY GIFTS Music: Bernadette Farrell Words: Shirley Erena Murray Arranger: Malcolm Archer Performers: Cong of St Mary Magdalene, Hucknall + Cantamus + Malcolm Lees Ladies Choir + Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn + piano Conductor: Gordon Stewart First broadcast on Songs of Praise: Celebrating Women's Gifts [Mothering Sunday] - 21/03/2004 Location: St Mary Magdalene Church, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Item Three: Name: EXAUDI NOS DOMINE Composer: Margaret Rizza Performers: Gaudete Music Group Organist: Andrew Earis, Cello: Catherine Brooker, Violin:, Daniel Weatherley, Flute: Karen Jones Oboe: John Miles Conductor: Margaret Rizza Specially recorded for this Songs of Praise programme. Location: All Saints Church, Tudeley, nr Tonbridge, Kent TN11 0NS. Exaudi Nos Domine is available on CD: Chants - Reflections for Peace Performed by: St Thomas' Music Group, directed by Margaret Rizza CD Label: Alliance Music [Published in 2000] CD No: 1901892 Item Four: Name: LINDISFARNE Composer: Joanne Hogg Music Publisher: Alliance Music Performer: Joanne Hogg and Iona Available on CD: CD: Journey Into The Morn CD Label: Alliance Music CD No: ALD050 First broadcast on Songs of Praise: Life Changes - 6/11/2005 Location: The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberia. Item Five: Name: JUBILEE REIGN Words: June Boyce-Tilman Music: Martin Shaw (1875-1958) Tune: Little Cornard From: Music - SoP Hymnbook No. 33 / Words: Specially composed for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Arranger: Paul Leddington Wright Performers: The Rolls Royce Coventry Band and congregation at Centenary Square, Birmingham. Conductor: Paul Leddington Wright First broadcast on Songs of Praise: Queen's Golden Jubilee - 2/6/2002 Location: Centenary Square, Birmingham. Item Six: JUST AS I AM Tune: Saffron Walden Music: A H Brown (1830-1926) Words: Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) Arrangement: Jeffrey Howard From: SoP Hymnbook # 274 Performer: Joanna Betts (former chorister at Norwich Cathedral) Piano: Geoff Ellerby First broadcast on Songs of Praise: Christian Heroes - Prog 1: Edith Cavell - 25/6/2006 Location: The Cloisters, Norwich Cathedral, Norwich NR1 4DH Item Six: Name: WHEN I WAS LOST Words and Music: Kate Simmonds and Miles Simmonds From: Songs of Fellowship Volume 3 #1607 Arranger: Craig McLeish Performers: Choirs, orchestra and congregation at LSO St Luke's [Choirs consisted of: Hillsong Choir; Barleycorn Singers; Salvation Army; Winton, Barts Choir; Bethesda Community Choir, Wimbledon Choral Society and Youth.Com] Conductor: Gordon Stewart First broadcast on Songs of Praise: Unsung Heroes - Prog 3 - 19/2/2006 Location: LSO St Luke's, 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG INCIDENTAL MUSIC CD: Joanne - Celtic Hymns - Looking Into Light Track 3 - How Sweet The Name Track 5 - Be Thou My Vision Track 10 - Almighty Father Who Dost Give Composer/Performer: Joanne Hogg CD Label: Alliance Music CD No: 1901182 CD: Fire of Love Track 1 - Sanctum Nomen Track 4 - In The Lord Is My Joy Composer: Margaret Rizza Performer: St Thomas Music Group CD Label: Kevin Mayhew CD No: KMCD1036 CD: Hildegard of Bingen - Canticles of Ecstasy Track 1 - O Vis Aeternitatis CD Label: BMG Music CD No: 05472 773202 ADDITIONAL MUSIC: PEACE SONG (composed by June Boyce-Tillman) was performed at Winchester Cathedral as part of the Church Colleges and Universities Choirs Festival 2006 on Saturday 4th March 2006. Taking part: Wessex Brass Quintet / The University of Chester / The University of Winchester / Liverpool Hope University / Roehampton University / St Martin's College / York St John University / Canterbury Christchurch University / Bishop Grosseteste College / The College of St Mark and St John / Newman College of Higher Education / St Mary's College / St Mark's School, Southampton / St Bede School, Winchester / Ringwood Waldorf School / The African Drumming Ensemble. |
| For more information about Burrswood Christian Hospital in Tunbridge Wells: http://www.burrswood.org.uk/
For more information about Lindisfarne: http://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/ For more information about the Church of Christ the King, Brighton: http://www.cck.org.uk/ For more information All Saints Church in Tudeley, Kent and the Marc Chagall Stained Glass Windows: http://www.tudeley.org For more information about St Mary Magdalene Church, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire: www.hucknall-parish-church.org For more information about Norwich Cathedral: http://www.cathedral.org.uk For more information about LSO St Luke's: www.lso.co.uk/lsostlukes |
| June Boyce-Tillman has recently published a new book of her music:
A Rainbow to Heaven: Hymns, Songs and Chants by June Boyce-Tillman Publisher: Stainer and Bell Published July 2006 ISBN 0 85249 890 X For more information: http://www.stainer.co.uk/boycetillman.html For more information about Joanne Hogg: http://www.iona.uk.com/joannebio.htm For more information about Bernadette Farrell: http://www.ocp.org/en/people/11502.php For more information about Kate Simonds: http://www.katesimmonds.com/index2.htm For more information about Margaret Rizza's music available on CD: http://www.kevinmayhew.com/Shop/Sections/Section.aspx?section_id=240 |