05/06/2016 Songs of Praise

Hello. I'm at Birmingham's revamped New Street Station

for a celebration of all things music for BBC Music Day.

Get on board as soul singing star Ruby Turner surprises commuters

with a flash-mob performance of gospel classic This Train.

I'm heading to Harrogate

to discover the hidden talents of this train conductor.

And I'm meeting a man

who is helping deaf people get involved in music.

Plus, we have news of how to get your hands on tickets

for this year's Big Sing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Today's programme is full of musical treats.

We're delighted to have a performance from Katherine Jenkins.

And with hymns that rejoice in the power of music,

we begin with a call to worship

from the spectacular surroundings of St Albans Cathedral.

There's been a real celebration of music across the country

for BBC Music Day, with thousands of people coming together,

from 40 gigs on bridges, 180 bell towers ringing out

and concerts from Cornwall to Scotland,

the aim is to encourage new musical collaborations, wherever you are.

And Songs Of Praise is making its own unique contribution.

Local legend Ruby Turner has agreed to team up with the very

first winners of our Gospel Choir of the Year competition for

a special one-off performance here at Birmingham New Street Station.

I mean, you can't have Music Day without gospel.

# It is ready... #

Household name Ruby Turner has been in the business for over

30 years and has recorded with UB40, The Temptations

and Culture Club, amongst others.

Today she's in rehearsal with a choir she knows well.

The Town Hall Gospel Choir, also based in Birmingham,

impressed Ruby with their winning performance back in 2013.

Absolute knockout! Absolute knockout.

# This train is bound for... #

Now they've been reunited to perform one of Ruby's gospel favourites.

You have become linked with this song, This Train,

and it has all the ingredients of a great gospel song, doesn't it?

It's a fantastic song, and I came across this particular song,

sung by Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

-# But this train don't pull no liars...

-#

And, you know, it's just one of those songs that just

captivates, it does what it does, it drives, it rides,

it says what it is, and it's just great.

# This train... #

I had to record it, just had to record it.

It has really powerful lyrics, that song. What do they mean to you?

You know, I was baptised Pentecostal when I was aged 15,

and I kind of grew up with that sort of very deep in the gospel vibe.

# This train is bound for glory... #

What it is that drives me and keeps me in the industry is gospel.

It's the music, it's the feel,

it's the connection I have with the spirituality side of things,

and the connection you have with the audience.

When you come away, you leave them with some food for thought.

I'm not there to convince anyone, I'm not there to preach to anyone,

I'm just there to introduce the music, the gospel.

# You better get on board... #

The BBC are covering all sorts of music on Music Day,

but gospel itself has been really influential on music, hasn't it?

Goodness me, I think

just about everybody who is in the industry has touched on gospel,

and if you look back, you're going back to people like Stevie Wonder,

you're going back to Ray Charles, Aretha,

they came through from the church, yeah.

So yeah, it's a huge influence, you know?

-Is it a good song to sing?

-It's a great song to sing.

And what's really kind of wonderful, when I'm in it,

when I'm there, and you see the response from the audience.

It's wonderful. It's wonderful.

So, hey, let's hope people enjoy it on the day.

We'll be back with Ruby later

as the build-up to the surprise performance continues.

Now, you may not think that making music

and trains naturally go together,

but Diane Louise Jordan is heading to Yorkshire

to meet someone who is well versed in both.

The man I'm meeting today has got himself a bit of a reputation

in recent months, and he is on this train right now.

-Any tickets and passes?

-Oh, yes, please, single to Harrogate, sir.

£8.40.

By day, Paul Mirfin is a conductor on the Leeds to Harrogate line.

We get to know the passengers, because they travel every day,

so the conductors become part of their journey.

It's like a community thing.

But when he's not on the trains,

Paul interacts with the public in a more entertaining way.

He's a folk singer and a bit of a local hero, so today

he's at the train station, but not to work.

He's performing for the passing passengers.

So I had a bit of a reputation on the railway

for being a bit of a lad.

I was doing my own thing and then I met this Christian lady,

and she wanted to pray for me,

and I said I weren't really very interested in that,

I said, but thank you very much,

but she said, I tell you what, I'll do that,

and since she's been praying for me, I just felt completely

convicted and really wanted to get to know more about God again.

I knew that I had to start to follow him,

and within a week, I'd got a whole new Christian band.

THEY SING

I really felt that I should go out, not to preach and not to talk,

actually, we'll just go out and we'll just play our stuff.

It's pure passion, we're singing about what we all passionate about.

Paul's gigs seem to be having a profound effect,

attracting other people back to church.

# I saw the light

# I saw the light... #

We've played in a working men's club,

and it were full of big guys, big skinhead guys, and all this.

And they were all singing

Praise The Lord, I Saw The Light by the end of it!

# I saw the light I saw the light... #

It's such a clear message, it's not like worship music, exactly.

But there's simplicity in those words that just touch people.

# Praise the Lord I saw the light... #

So what's your secret?

Why do you think your band is attracting so many people?

I believe God told me to just go out and play.

And that's it, that's it.

# I saw the light I saw the light... #

It gives you hope and makes you believe

and that's what made me come back to Christianity, really.

I've been going through so many bad times

and his music just uplifts me, it's just brilliant.

The train on platform 5B...

What a fabulous medley there from the Hackney Empire.

And if you love to sing,

I bring you news of this year's Big Sing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Tickets go on sale immediately after this programme,

and we are hoping you will be able to join us.

We'll be singing some fabulous hymns old and new,

as well as carols for our Christmas Day Big Sing,

with some very special guests.

The phone lines and box office are open as soon as this programme ends.

Next up, an international performer, who often sings for us

at the Royal Albert Hall.

Here she is in a more intimate setting.

# All things bright and beautiful

# All creatures great and small

# All things wise and wonderful

# The Lord God made them all

# Each little flower that opens

# Each little bird that sings

# He made their glowing colours

# He made their tiny wings

# All things bright and beautiful

# All creatures great and small

# All things wise and wonderful

# The Lord God made them all

# The purple-headed mountain

# The river running by

# The sunset and the morning

# That brightens up the sky

# The cold wind in the winter

# The pleasant summer sun

# The ripe fruits in the garden

# He made them every one

# All things bright and beautiful

# All creatures great and small

# All things wise and wonderful

# The Lord God made them all

# He gave us eyes to see them

# And lips that we might tell

# How great is God Almighty

# Who has made all things well

# All things bright and beautiful

# All creatures great and small

# All things wise and wonderful

# The Lord God made them all. #

BBC Music Day is about celebrating all types of music,

whatever your taste, but what if you can't hear the music?

Claire McCollum has been to meet a man

who is bringing music to people who are deaf.

# Two drifters... #

'There are over 11 million people in the UK with some

'form of hearing loss - that's one in six of us

'who suffer from mild to profound deafness.

'One of them is Paul Whittaker, who has been deaf from birth.

'But that hasn't stopped him enjoying music to the full.

Music was always around the house when I was growing up, because

Mum played the piano and both Mum and Dad had the radio on,

they had records on, it was just there.

I decided when I grew up,

I wanted to go to university and get a music degree.

I was turned down by 12 universities over two years, because I was deaf.

"Deaf people can't be musicians, go and be a plumber."

For people who aren't deaf, it's hard to understand how you,

as a deaf person, know what sounds good.

I think being a pianist is a big advantage,

because you press the key down, you feel the hammer hit the string,

the vibration travels back up your arm,

and every single note feels different.

I cannot just go to a concert and work out what is happening.

I can't tell what voice is singing, I can't pick up the lyrics,

the harmony, the melody, nothing.

It's only when I see it that it makes sense.

It is an incredibly powerful thing.

Life without music is not worth living.

And I know your faith is very important to you as well.

Faith is something that I've had from being very, very young, but

at the end of the day, I know what my relationship with God is like.

I know who I am. He made me.

And I don't think he made a mistake when he created me.

He was obviously having a laugh, in that he made me deaf

and he made me gay and a musician.

# Moon river... #

And now you've started these signing choirs.

How have they been going?

For many years, I have wanted my own signing choir

and I finally started it off last September.

# Wherever you're going... #

Most of them are absolute beginners.

My habit is to do that.

Both my children are deaf, and when they were a bit younger,

they joined a music club that Paul ran.

He was such an inspiration to them. They're both very musical.

One plays the violin now, one plays the piano.

Well, I'm deaf and when I'm around hearing people,

I feel very isolated.

But when I'm here, I enjoy it.

I feel involved.

You going to win, OK? You're going to win.

-Wrong hand?

-Stop.

Paul has invited me to join in.

Everybody!

Boom!

'It's a steep learning curve.'

# The highest mountain... #

Yeah.

# When I look up to the stars

# There's a burning deep inside me

# And I feel a power growing in my soul... #

Very encouraging, when you watch the choir, that release almost,

and the joy, when they get it right and they find,

"I can express myself with my hands."

It's beautiful to watch.

# ..In me. #

THEY CHEER

Thank you!

Now, before the big performance,

here's a quick reminder to get your entry in

for the Songs Of Praise Rugby League Fans Choir competition,

before the closing date.

Go on! Give it a try!

You could be on the Wembley pitch,

singing your heart out at the Challenge Cup final at the end

of August, leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of Abide With Me.

Details and full terms and conditions are on our website.

It's early morning here at Birmingham New Street,

and we're getting closer to the flash mob

performance of gospel classic This Train with legend Ruby Turner.

Preparations are clearly underway, and the stage is

hidden behind here, right in the middle of the main concourse.

Passers-by are going to get such a surprise.

Nobody has got any idea what's about to happen.

Everyone's going to have a smile on their face.

I just want people to really be surprised and enjoy the moment.

'In order to blend in, the Town Hall Gospel Choir from Birmingham

'are masquerading as a rail staff.'

So, Ruby, this must be one

of the more unusual backstage areas you've occupied?

I'll say! I'm just going to print myself some tickets.

Sorry!

It's great! I mean, you know, I'm representing Birmingham.

This is my first flash mob,

the first thing I've done like this, so I'm very nervous,

but excited about how it's going to be and how they're going to react.

Any second now you're on. What is it feeling like?

Can't wait. Buzzing. Loving it.

And now we're going to cross live to Birmingham New Street Station.

'Zoe Ball at Radio 2 is also in on the action.'

David, tell us what's happening there.

We've got the great Ruby Turner.

We have the Gospel Choir of the Year from 2013 from Songs Of Praise.

It's about to happen right now.

'Please be aware that tickets

'for London Midland trains only are not valid on this train.

'First class accommodation is at the front of the train.'

'The Songs Of Praise train Ruby Turner is about to depart.'

This train is going to glory. All aboard!

# You see the train in the yard

# It is ready to make a morn start

# Oh, just as soon as the conductor

# He says

# All aboard

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# This train is a clean train Everybody riding in Jesus' name

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# This train has left the station This train

# I said, this train has left the station, this train

# I said this train has left the station

# This train takes on every nation

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# It's the prettiest train I ever did see, this train

# Get on board

# It's the prettiest train I ever did see, this train

# Who's getting on board?

# It's the prettiest train I ever did see

# If you want to ride it Better get redeemed

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# Better get on board

# This train is bound for glory This train

# Better get on board

# This train is bound for glory This train

# Who's getting on board?

# I said, this train is bound for glory

# Everybody riding her got to be holy

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# You better get on board

# Get on board

# Yeah, yeah, yeah

# Get on board

# Get on board

# All aboard

# All aboard

# All aboard

# This train don't take no jokers This train

# Better get on board

# This train don't take no jokers This train

# Who's getting on board?

# I said, this train don't take no jokers

# No tobacco chewers or cigar smokers

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# Get on board

# This train don't pull no wakers This train

# Get on board

# This train don't pull no wakers This train

# I said, this train don't pull no wakers

# No pop shooters or whisky drinkers

# Because this train is a clean train, you know, this train

# You better get on board

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# You better get on board

# This train is a clean train You know, this train

# You better get on board. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Oh, that was amazing!

That was fantastic!

I couldn't believe the power coming out this early in the morning.

When I heard her, I knew who it was instantly.

I didn't know this was happening.

Literally, about to get on a train and just came across it.

Ruby, how did that feel?

Oh...fantastic.

Gospel music inspires people and especially on a day like today,

gives you a good start and a good boost to the day.

# Everybody riding her got to be holy... #

Next week is another big gathering, as Josie D'Arby

joins 25,000 people from churches all across the UK,

plus some of the biggest artists in global Christian

music at the annual Big Church Day Out.

We end with a hymn I'm sure you're going to want to sing along with.

Thanks for watching. Goodbye.