Commonwealth Games Songs of Praise

It will be the biggest multi-sport event Scotland has ever seen.

This summer, Glasgow will host the 20th Commonwealth Games

and the city is preparing to welcome 1.5 million visitors

to 14 spectacular sporting venues.

-Happy Glasgow day!

-Thank you for inviting me to your wonderful city.

What are you going to show me?

Well, not the Cathedral this time. This.

-The Clyde?

-No, home of the Commonwealth Games!

Over a million tickets have been sold

and more than 1,000 medals will be awarded.

We are here to find the faith at the heart of the Games

and help you get in the sporting mood.

I've got some trainers for you.

I'm a little bit worried,

I hope you're not expecting me to do a 100-metre sprint in these.

Just a clue to what you're doing next.

-This is a clue to what you're doing next.

-Intriguing!

-I've wanted to get my hand into one of these.

-Your wish is my command.

The music this week is all about stirring patriotic hearts

wherever you are in the UK.

We're going to start with a belter, so why not join in,

get in the mood, with Tell Out My Soul.

-See you later.

-See YOU later.

When the Games open in just 10 days' time,

it's going to be all hands to the pump.

The volunteers, dubbed Clyde-siders for Glasgow 2014,

are at the heart of the action.

Sarah Crees is one of them

and she's beaten tens of thousands of others to the job.

But she doesn't know exactly what she'll be doing

or where she will be working.

I've invited her to Glasgow to fill her in.

-Sarah, welcome.

-Hello.

Now, you don't know yet, do you, what job you'll be doing?

No, I just know I'm based around here.

You're based exactly here

because this is called the Last Mile Route and this is the point

where spectators are going to come pouring forward

to get to these great venues behind us

and you are going to be here to meet them

and greet them and welcome them and point the way.

Very nice!

And a hat, you have to put that on before you put the finger on.

Oh, yes!

-Very nice.

-Point the way!

-This way!

Great stuff, let's go.

So, why did you want to be part of all this?

I love meeting different people and I love watching sport.

I want people to enjoy the Games

and I think that being a hospitable person shows my love for God

and I think if I can just make one person have a good day,

then that's enough.

It's volunteers like Sarah who will make the Games run like clockwork.

But they all need somewhere to stay.

With hotel prices sky high during the Games,

Sarah needed a cheaper alternative.

Searching online, she came across a scheme where hundreds of locals

were offering a place to stay for free.

It was a godsend.

The Homestay Programme is extremely important.

Without it, I wouldn't be able to afford to stay here.

For someone to put me up for free is such a blessing.

-How much do you know about where you're going?

-Not anything at all.

You know nothing, but I know everything, fortunately.

That's good, thank you.

Just a short drive out of the city,

we arrive at the home of the Begg family.

-This is your new home.

-Hello!

-Karen, Sarah. Richard.

-Welcome.

I hope you guys are going to like each other,

-you're going to see a lot of each other.

-I hope so!

With the kids keen to get to know their new guest

and the tea to get ready, Karen and I roll up our sleeves.

This is another side of the Games that never occurred to me,

all these volunteers, and what happens to them,

and it's lovely to think of them all living in places like this.

We're not really helping at the Commonwealth Games,

but this is something that we can do to get involved in it.

Does it not cost you, though, an extra mouth to feed for two weeks?

It does, but it's part of what God has called me to do.

I believe I have a gift of hospitality and I enjoy it.

No, it doesn't fit in that bit.

I love seeing people's faces and hearing them laugh.

You have a husband who, I suspect, just arrives with people?

He does, he very often phones me on the way home from somewhere

and say, "Do you have enough to feed another mouth?"

I'm kind of used to that. It's just part of who I am.

Well, Sarah, looking at this meal, I would say you've struck lucky!

I know, it smells really good.

It's a good job that Sarah likes Karen's cooking

because she is going to be staying with the family for two weeks.

Well, that was a lovely meal and they are a great family.

I think Sarah, she's going to be well settled here

and I think she's going to do a great job at the Commonwealth Games.

# I vow to thee my country

# All earthly things above

# Entire and whole and perfect

# The service of my love

# The love that asks no question

# The love that stands the test

# That lays upon the altar

# The dearest and the best

# The love that never falters

# The love that pays the price

# The love that makes undaunted

# The final sacrifice

# And there's another country

# I've heard of long ago

# Most dear to them that love her

# Most great to them that know

# We may not count her armies

# We may not see her King

# Her fortress is a faithful heart

# Her pride is suffering

# And soul by soul and silently

# Her shining bounds increase

# And her ways are ways of gentleness

# And all her paths are peace

# And her ways are ways of gentleness

# And all her paths

-# Are peace.

-#

The Corrs, a Catholic family from Essex.

Earlier this year, they responded to our appeal for a family

to take part in some of our programmes over the summer.

The idea is that we set them some challenges so that you find out

how their Christian faith is woven into their lives.

This week, we chose the Commonwealth Games sport of swimming

and threw dad, Martin, in at the deep end.

I think if there was one sport that would fill me with dread,

it would be swimming.

I'm Lisa, I'm one of the swimming teachers here.

We're going to set you a challenge, but it's not going to be all of you,

it's going to be Martin, OK?

What it is, it's going to be 1,500-metre swim.

No chance!

That's 60 lengths of this pool here.

You can do it! It's the distance of a Commonwealth Games triathlon.

Can I do it for him or not?

Unfortunately, it is Martin's challenge.

You're going to be all right.

For him, it's just going to be too much.

It was like a mountain that I just knew he couldn't climb.

Blow bubbles, breathe.

The coach knew Martin was not a confident swimmer,

but in some pre-challenge training,

it became clear he struggled to swim full stop.

Pretend you're grabbing some sweets and putting them in your pocket

and with your legs,

try and imagine kicking a football up with your heels to the sky.

Swimming is something that I don't feel comfortable doing

because I have a bit of a fear of drowning and also,

I don't like being out of my depth.

-How are you feeling doing it at the moment?

-Petrified.

With the challenge about to start,

Martin needed as much moral support as possible and so

his parish priest and friends from church turned up to cheer him on.

-A bit worried, are you?

-Yeah.

I'm hoping I'm not going to need the last rites!

Very often I tell myself I can't do things, but then it's having

faith in God that with guidance and help, you will get there.

Find out how Martin gets on after our next hymn.

A song synonymous with facing adversity

as well as being a well loved sporting anthem.

Three, two, one, go!

Martin's got 60 lengths to complete for his Commonwealth Games challenge

and he will need all the encouragement he can get.

Nice, you're in the rhythm now.

The most difficult aspect for me was sitting back

and letting Martin do it for himself.

Come on, Martin, you can do it!

I had to be on my feet and almost doing it with him.

Come on, Martin, you're halfway there. You're doing really well.

There we go!

You did it! Well done!

Sam always believes in me and when I'm at my lowest point,

she's the one who builds me up and tells me that I can achieve things.

It's Sam who is my tower of strength and guides me through it.

Really proud of you, darling, I really am.

The bond between me and Martin is very strong

and that is because I believe we have three strands to our marriage.

We have Martin, myself, and God.

Those three together, we can just achieve anything.

Martin and I met because Martin was best friends with my brother.

We have really grown up together because I was 16, Martin was 18.

It was instant love.

You know, you read about it in stories,

it was just like that right from the beginning.

Really good, well done! Get your breath and then we'll go again.

There was a lot of prayer involved at various points.

I did feel very close to God and I knew that God would get me through.

What started as a 60-length challenge began to change.

Instead, for Martin, it was about proving something to himself

and those around him, even if the distance was way off

the original target.

I'm just amazed, he is not a swimmer, as you can see,

and the number of times you look at his face

and think he is going to give up.

He just goes, no, I'm going to do some more.

That is what Jesus calls us to do, he calls us to push ourselves

for the faith and Martin, there he goes again, look!

Martin, the swimming coach and his family and friends

were shocked by just how far he had come from such a shaky start.

To everyone's surprise, Martin, who could barely manage

a length just one hour before, completed 12 lengths of the pool.

In true Corr family style, it was the rest of the clan

who insisted on finishing the 60-length target.

When Sam and the girls got in the pool with me, I felt very loved.

I couldn't have done it without my family around me.

I think that deserves a big group hug.

Here you go! Well done!

Hampton Park will host the closing ceremony and athletics events

at the Games, including the medal ceremonies.

History is created at every Commonwealth Games

and the medals capture those once-in-a-lifetime memories

for the athletes who take part.

Thankfully, because I'm not an athlete, I won't be needing these!

Whilst the football ground was being transformed for the Games,

I caught up with Songs of Praise conductor, Simon Lole,

to find out more about national anthems.

Simon, I am so excited about being here in this iconic stadium

where, very soon, the Commonwealth Games are going to be coming.

-It's incredible, isn't it?

-It is.

You can just imagine when they win their medals, everyone singing

God Save The Queen.

Absolutely, but they're not going to be singing God Save The Queen,

because it's the Commonwealth Games, rather than the Olympics.

If it was the Olympics, they would sing that,

but because the individual countries, England, Scotland, Wales

and Northern Ireland are all competing separately,

they're all going to sing their own anthem.

OK, that does make sense, so what are those anthems?

Well, the English first of all are going to be singing Jerusalem,

which of course we probably all know

and Songs of Praise viewers will know as a great hymn.

It just captures what a national anthem does so perfectly

-and inspires patriotism.

-What about the other ones?

Scotland, we're here in Hampden Park

and Flower of Scotland is their national anthem.

Again, it just is wonderfully patriotic.

I did hear that it was a little bit against the English, though.

Don't talk about that because we're all friends!

I can imagine in Wales,

because you just always think of those fantastic male voice choirs

and it's just in the DNA, isn't it?

Wales is the place for singing, they're such wonderful singers.

Land of my Fathers, that great tune is theirs

and that inspires such passion from the Welsh.

What about Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland, as a musician, that's my favourite tune,

The Londonderry Air, which I think everybody knows.

Songs of Praise viewers, of course, will know as a hymn tune

but it's just such a beautiful melody, so haunting, and for me,

it inspires the thought of Northern Ireland.

There is that feeling inside, you feel as if you are about to burst

and I can imagine that is the case when you're here?

Absolutely and while you're talking,

I'm thinking a rather cheeky thought.

Why don't we go out there and experience the idea ourselves.

We probably won't win medals, but come on!

Oh, my gosh, this is my moment!

MUSIC: Jerusalem

So, how was that?

Oh, I've just won a gold medal and I tell you, I feel so proud.

I did it for my God and for my country.

I can just imagine what it must be like, such an emotional moment.

-I haven't even run a pace!

-You're a complete and utter charlatan!

Oh, my word, what an astonishing view!

From up here, you can really get a sense of the impact

the Games are going to have on this incredible city of Glasgow.

There are 14 venues for 17 sports.

Over there is Ibrox, which will host the rugby sevens,

and I can just spot the Armadillo and the Hydro.

They will be hosting gymnastics and weightlifting.

About 60 miles in that direction, past the Campsie Hills,

down towards the beautiful loch.

That's where the Queen's Baton is just now and that is basically

like the Olympic torch and it has been on the most incredible journey.

Back in October, the Queen placed a sealed secret message

inside the baton and sent it on its journey around the Commonwealth.

Since then, it has travelled through 70 countries, reflecting the customs

and culture of the two billion people

who make up the modern Commonwealth.

It will have travelled 190,000 kilometres in 288 days

by the time it is handed back to the Queen at the opening ceremony

to officially mark the start of the Games.

# Here's to the heroes

# Those few who dare

# Heading for glory

# Living a prayer

# Here's to the heroes

# Who never rest

# They are the chosen

# We are the blessed

# Here's to the heroes

# Who aim so high

# Here's to the heroes

# Who do or die

# Here's to the heroes

# Who do

# Or die. #

-Here we are, back again.

-I'm so excited, I think I fancy coming up.

I could put you up for a small charge.

Seriously, the Games will be here in 10 days' time

and I think we're going to have some amazing moments.

I think it's going to be phenomenal

and I'm looking forward to that comfy bed.

Yeah, a large charge!

Next week, another chance to see Tony Christie chatting with Aled

about his faith and a long career that's impressed many a famous face.

Tony has a timeless voice.

If he has a song that tells a story, there's no-one better, really.

Tony leads friends and fans in some favourite hymns and songs.