0:00:04 > 0:00:07York Minster is a marvel of the medieval age.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10A testament to human faith and the worship of God.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's a building where tradition is everything.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And from Easter to Christmas,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25the Minster has to plan for every eventuality.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Keep it going, keep pushing, don't stop pushing!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33This is the story of one year in the life of the Minster.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And for the people who work here, it is much more than a job,
0:00:36 > 0:00:37it's a calling.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It's nearing the end of the church year
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and Christmas will soon be coming to the Minster.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12It's a celebration of the birth of Christ,
0:01:12 > 0:01:18and another milestone in 1,300 years of Christian faith in the city.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21It'll be a hectic time for the Minster.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But it's also a chance to reach out beyond
0:01:23 > 0:01:25its Church Of England heartland.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Today, though, head verger Alex Carberry is a man with a mission.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37It's going to be a bit of work, bit of grunting, bit of toil,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- but I'm sure you're all up for that. - Absolutely.- We are.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41You are? Excellent.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42What I want to do is...
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Alex and his vergers look after the day-to-day running
0:01:45 > 0:01:47of the inside of the Minster.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51And this morning, he feels more like he's in the removal business.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I reckon if I had a pound for every chair I've moved,
0:01:54 > 0:01:55I'd be a millionaire by now.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58More than 1,000 chairs have to come out of the nave
0:01:58 > 0:02:00to make way for some unusual guests.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09The Minster is taking part in a city-wide art festival.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12In an attempt to attract a younger crowd,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15four graffiti artists have been invited to spray paint
0:02:15 > 0:02:18on giant canvases in the central nave.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Graffiti would normally attract the attention
0:02:21 > 0:02:23of the Minster's very own police force.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28This time, the Minster and Alex are more relaxed.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33We call it graffiti, which comes from the Latin meaning scratching,
0:02:33 > 0:02:34and it goes...
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Being Latin, it goes back to Roman times and the classical world,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41graffiti was around then, it's around now,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and we're just doing our bit to sort of try to embrace it
0:02:44 > 0:02:46and show it in a different space.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49And it's not just the chairs that have to go -
0:02:49 > 0:02:53the lectern, organ, and alter are shifted as well.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Just watch this here.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Making so many chairs disappear isn't easy.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Some are piled high in the centre of the nave
0:03:02 > 0:03:05where the street artists will perform.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Others disappear below ground.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17But as the furniture moves out, the visitors keep on coming in.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21The only respite comes when everything stops for prayers.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24INAUDIBLE TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT
0:03:28 > 0:03:33My own personal tally, probably about 200, I would guess, by the end of it.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Because it's been a good team effort.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39With the nave cleared of most of its furniture,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41a cavernous space is revealed.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46But is the Minster really ready for its brush
0:03:46 > 0:03:47with the 21st-century art?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53While the Minster prepares for the graffiti artists,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56outside the building there's a bit of drama.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Background, action. Action!
0:04:03 > 0:04:06The clock's been turned back 200 years
0:04:06 > 0:04:09for the BBC's murder mystery, Death Comes to Pemberley.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14The crew's here and so are some of the stars.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Rubbing shoulders with Matthew Rhys and Jenna Coleman
0:04:17 > 0:04:19is the Minster's Morwen Ayres.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- Morwen to East End. - Good morning.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- Good morning. They're about to start filming again.- OK, thanks.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Morwen normally looks after weddings and banquets,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33today she has a film crew to keep happy.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- Hello, can I help?- Hello, yes.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39I could do with getting into the side door down the alley.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Coordination is everything. The filming is taking place
0:04:42 > 0:04:46next to the Minster's £20 million renovation project.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47I was already in the East End
0:04:47 > 0:04:50to ask them to stop work so filming could happen,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53because the noise travels over, so it is a real team effort -
0:04:53 > 0:04:55just communicating with everybody,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57being there as support if they need any.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Every trace of modern York has been erased.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04With the shops turned into grocers and tailors,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06complete with traders and livestock.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I'm looking after Truffles, she can get a bit naughty,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13so she might head over to the vegetable stand and demolish that.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14I can't believe they tolerated us.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I mean, you see all this work going on up here,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19they've literally had to stop while we're rolling.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20And action!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26In terms of making a show like Death Comes to Pemberley,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30which is a continuation of the Pride and Prejudice story.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32My greatest ambition was to make it truly authentic,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36and it's very, very hard to find anywhere in this country now
0:05:36 > 0:05:39that has, you know, a sense of what Georgian England
0:05:39 > 0:05:42still looks like today.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46And York has an abundance of these kind of places.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48We're supposed to be in Derby, I have to say,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51but Derby doesn't provide us with the kind of locations York does.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Action!
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Morwen gets an unexpected, but temporary, memento.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Mr Darcy's sunglasses.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03He was wearing them before a scene and he threw them on the grass
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and didn't want them to get stood on, so I'm guarding them for him.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09The life.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10SHE LAUGHS
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Going to start taking all the front shops off.- Right.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17So that's a wrap for the film crew.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And for Morwen a job well done.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Filming's obviously finishing,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25so I've just got last-minute wrapping up things to do, make sure we finish.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I'll close down the building later, once they've all gone,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and then that's me until tomorrow morning
0:06:32 > 0:06:34when it's all deconstruct.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49Back inside the Minster and the festive season is about to start.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51It's the beginning of the Advent festival
0:06:51 > 0:06:53that runs up to Christmas Day.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It starts with the dressing of a giant wreath
0:06:56 > 0:07:00that'll be suspended above the Minster floor.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Volunteers have brought cuttings from their gardens
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and head verger Alex is on hand to supervise.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11OK, ladies, if you could stand clear, please, we're going to send it up.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14The Advent garland is a Christmas tradition.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17As is the involvement of children from the Minster's preschool.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23It's very interactive,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26we'll get some of the children to actually put the candles in place.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29We'll measure the children against the candles,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32see who's the biggest candle/child.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36And we'll also get the children to help us raise the Advent wreath.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37And, hopefully, this year,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41they're going to find it a magical experience.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Today is a special day,
0:07:44 > 0:07:50because we're almost ready to wish each other a Happy New Year.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Because, for Christians,
0:07:52 > 0:07:58the New Year begins about four weeks before Christmas Day.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Now, it's Alex's turn to see how the children measure up.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Now, here's the first candle.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Look at that, it's taller than Bella!
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Is it taller than Arthur?
0:08:13 > 0:08:17- No.- No, it's about the same height, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Do a lot of lifting, come on, lift, lift, lift!
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Let's move it forward.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24And into the socket.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26That's very good, well done.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30As the last candle goes into the wreath,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Alex ends up seeing stars.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Fight my way through the foliage.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It's like I'm A Celebrity ...
0:08:45 > 0:08:47There we are.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51With Alex's head still spinning, he tries some kidology on the children.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54This is where you're going to have to help me.
0:08:54 > 0:09:01What you're going to have to do is push with all your might.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05'In previous years, I've usually hidden, behind my back,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08'the remote control that operates the hoist.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:14Keep it going. Keep it going, keep pushing, don't stop pushing!
0:09:14 > 0:09:16'This year, I was totally hands-free.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Keep pushing it up, bit further, bit further. Keep going.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23'One of my colleagues was hidden from view, from the children,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27'so when they were pushing the Advent wreath up,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'they obviously thought they were doing it themselves
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'with a little help from me.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Whereas, of course, someone else was pushing the buttons.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Up, up.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41And stop.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Tourists from all over the globe come to see the Minster.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Two million visitors enter the building every year,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59but attracting people from York is a problem - even though
0:09:59 > 0:10:03entrance fees are waived for city residents.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06So, if the locals won't come to the Minster,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09then the Minster is going to go to them.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Looking forward to Tang Hall?
0:10:11 > 0:10:12I am, actually.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16I mean, the main thing is to be, you know, positive advocates, isn't it?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19For the Minster. And try and get that message across.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Definitely, yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Outreach workers Griselda Goldsbrough and Helen Moore
0:10:23 > 0:10:26are on their way to Tang Hall Primary School,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29in one of the more socially deprived parts of the city.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32You can see the Minster from here, but for some children,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35it feels like a world away.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37When we asked them what the Minster was,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40and what they thought it does, it was very much they didn't know
0:10:40 > 0:10:43it was a working church - they didn't know it was a church at all.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Some of them thought it was a castle,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47some of them thought it was a tower,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50some of them thought it was just a big building,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and they didn't know what types of people would go in.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56The Minster is working closely with a number of schools in the city,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and it seems perceptions are changing.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The Minster was just something in the middle of York that
0:11:02 > 0:11:04wasn't really part of their lives,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and I really think it's drawn them in to being part of it,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and seeing it as part of their world rather than just this big
0:11:10 > 0:11:11building in the centre of town.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Yes, it's almost like in the past its been like a backdrop.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17It's turning it into 3D.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It's made it alive. They now know that they can go through the door,
0:11:20 > 0:11:21they now know -
0:11:21 > 0:11:24they've all turned into little tour guides for their parents.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27The outreach team know
0:11:27 > 0:11:31if they enthuse the kids on their doorstep, then others may follow.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34What were we going to put on our lanterns?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Can anybody remember?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40If you go up, you think it's just a boring old church,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44but once you get inside, it's actually really, really good.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46When I go into town I see it, and I'm like,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49"Oh, my gosh, I went there, Mum.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53"I went there, I loved it there, and I want to go in there again."
0:11:53 > 0:11:56It's the best, nicest place in York,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58cos most people like the York Dungeon,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01but I like the Minster mostly,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06it's the nicest, calmest place on earth.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10These lanterns will be given pride of place in the Minster
0:12:10 > 0:12:12later in the year.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Have to get all your lines really red. I know it's a bit tricky.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17In the battle for hearts and minds,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21it seems some are starting to look at the Minster in a whole new light.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Opening up the building to new people
0:12:26 > 0:12:28has become a key part of the mission.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Even if sometimes it means the Minster
0:12:30 > 0:12:32stepping outside its comfort zone.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35For the first time, four graffiti artists
0:12:35 > 0:12:39will spray-paint on giant canvasses inside the nave.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43And the architecture of the Minster will be their motivation.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46It's just full of inspiration.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49So much so that you almost don't know what to do,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53because it's just an insane amount of incredible history,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57and so much subject matter that it's just a little bit daunting.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06You can't fail to be inspired here, really.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07And there's so much history,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10it kind of starts pushing your own ideas out of your head!
0:13:10 > 0:13:15You have to step back and breathe to refocus
0:13:15 > 0:13:18on what you're actually there to do.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24The idea is to kind of embody some of the drama
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and the poetry of the building.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31So I'm sort of looking at a lot of the stonework,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35a lot of the statues, and just trying to basically capture
0:13:35 > 0:13:38some of that ambience on the painting.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42So it's just going to develop throughout the few nights,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45so we'll see what happens by the time I get down there!
0:13:47 > 0:13:50I've been using elements from the sort of Puginesque
0:13:50 > 0:13:51Gothic architecture.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54The symbols of the keys, which are one of the symbols of the cathedral.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56We've got St Peter here,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58you've got, like, the rooks and stuff.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00You've got the Mary, you've got cherubs.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Just trying to tie it all in together, but at the same time,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05making it kind of like a symmetrical bit of pop art,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08so that when you stand back, it will line up with the building,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and it kind of works with the architectural space.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16It's nice it see something a little bit more contemporary
0:14:16 > 0:14:20going on in the building, and something a bit more challenging.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Nice forward-thinking attitude and, I don't know,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27- old meets new in a kind of really great setting.- Yeah.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29When I first saw it, I was a little bit nervous.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I'm not particularly religious,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35bit I did feel almost like there was a bit of blasphemy
0:14:35 > 0:14:39in the fact that it was, like, street art in a space like this.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42But then it grew on me, and as I saw the creative expression
0:14:42 > 0:14:47of the artists coming through, it actually started to work for me.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Seeing the colour being added as well, I find that really fascinating,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and actually how accurate these guys are with the spray cans,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58it's not just daubing a tag on a piece of brickwork, you know,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02it's precision artwork, it's stunning.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06I just kind of hope that people see street art and graffiti
0:15:06 > 0:15:09as not the enemy, it's not a bad thing,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11it's a valid form of expression.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It's like any other art form, except you're using a spray can.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And for somewhere like the Minster,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20which is such a beautiful building, that needs to be preserved
0:15:20 > 0:15:25and looked after, to do something like this in here is really brave.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Very much about bringing in new audiences,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37so trying to attract people we don't normally get into the Minster -
0:15:37 > 0:15:38so, younger people,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40also a more kind of arty crowd,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43people from a bit further afield, West Yorkshire, as well as in York.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47And I think we've definitely achieved that, we've seen new faces,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49lots of students and younger people.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It's gone really well.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05The Christmas season is the busiest time of year for the Minster.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08The first major event is the Advent procession.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It's an atmospheric service which begins in darkness
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and is then illuminated by candlelight.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And, for Alex, it's the start of a logistical headache.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It's one that always...
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I don't know, I always get nervous about,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24because I think we've got the combination of children, candles,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28darkness, that if anything did go out of kilter,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31it would be quite obvious.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34What you do need is-is your sticks.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37You'll all need one of those.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40We need to put some tapers in them.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43With more than a thousand people due to attend,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45the vestry is a hive of activity.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- There's tables at the halfway point...- Right.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52..and there's also tables either side of your seats,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56with a load of extra tapers on there.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58There's a lot resting on Alex's shoulders,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and plenty of people who need to be briefed.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03I'm wanting to make sure everybody knows
0:17:03 > 0:17:07what they're supposed to be doing, so that when we actually start,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11we're not having to give any last-minute, hurried instructions.
0:17:11 > 0:17:18The important thing is that the light mustn't go ahead of the choir.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23It's not so much nerves as just paying attention to detail.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The theme of the service is the coming of Christ.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29It's symbolised by the lighting of a single candle,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32with the flame then passed amongst the worshippers.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36And for the man who organises the daily services at the Minster,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38it's his favourite day of the year.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42I think there is a marvellous sense of expectancy, of waiting.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Although I've done this every year for 20-odd years now,
0:17:46 > 0:17:51it never ceases to amaze me what an effect that single candle has,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53spreading throughout the whole building.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56ALL SING
0:18:02 > 0:18:05As the choir moves amongst the congregation,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08light returns to the Minster.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Because York Minster is so big, the Christmas trees are huge, too.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57These are well over 20 feet tall, and with such a small
0:18:57 > 0:19:02entrance to negotiate, it's decided that only brute force will do.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04One, two, three.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14All ready, then?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16One, two, three.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23And so an unusual cargo is unceremoniously dragged past
0:19:23 > 0:19:25the Minster's delicate architecture.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Even the carpets inside the Minster are huge,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and are moved out of the way.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Steady on.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40This tree will be placed next to the high altar.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44And being so close to some rather precious artefacts,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46the last thing anyone needs is any mishaps.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52Whoa!
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Well, it's the effort.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I think the bottom's come out of the box,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04so it's a bit of a minor setback, but...
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I don't think it's going to go anywhere.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10It's been a struggle,
0:20:10 > 0:20:14but calm finally returns to the Minster once more.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Just hope it stays in place.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And doesn't come crashing down during any of our services.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32With Christmas Day looming, head verger Alex is a man in demand.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37He's been called over to the Minster's preschool,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39where a special role awaits him.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Hopefully it'll all fit.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43I'll do anything.
0:20:43 > 0:20:50I'll try and do anything to sort of lighten people's lives up, you know?
0:20:50 > 0:20:56So, yep, I'm prepared to put on a ridiculous red costume
0:20:56 > 0:20:58with a fake beard
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and go ho-ho-ho-ing.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05The children at the school are very excited about Santa's arrival.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Alex, though, is slightly worried about his reputation
0:21:08 > 0:21:10amongst his fellow vergers.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13When they see it, they're going to find it most amusing,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and probably going to ridicule me,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and take the mickey for the foreseeable future.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23It's the pinnacle of my career so far.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24I feel I've finally made it,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27now I've managed to be dressing up as Santa Claus.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Ho, ho, ho!
0:21:34 > 0:21:36CHUCKLES: Oh, dear!
0:21:36 > 0:21:37I'm relishing this.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Alex is ready for his big moment...
0:21:40 > 0:21:42when there's a little delay.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44You might want to take that off your head,
0:21:44 > 0:21:45cos some of them are on the loo!
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Oh, bless 'em.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- Well, as long as they go now.- Yes! - Cos I don't want them to go on me!
0:21:53 > 0:21:55BELL RINGS
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Ho, ho, ho! Hello, everybody! - ALL: Hello!
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Have you all been very good this year?
0:22:00 > 0:22:02ALL: Yes!
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Practical as ever, Alex has a question for the children.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Have you all cleaned your chimneys for me?
0:22:09 > 0:22:10- Yes!- No!- No?!
0:22:10 > 0:22:12So I've got to get black and sooty, have I,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14when I come down the chimneys?
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Have you been good?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17You have? Good.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It's funny how everyone's been so good this year, isn't it?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22You all be practising saying, "Ho, ho, ho"?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Go on, let's have a good "Ho, ho, ho".
0:22:25 > 0:22:27ALL: Ho, ho, ho!
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Thank you, Father Christmas, and happy... Merry Christmas to you.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Thank you very much indeed!
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Thank you all very much.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39See you on Christmas Eve, yes, but you'll be all fast asleep, won't you?
0:22:39 > 0:22:40- Yeah.- Yes, good.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41See you all later.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- See you Christmas Eve! - ALL: Bye!
0:22:43 > 0:22:45No tears. Apparently, in the past,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49some of the children have been afraid of Father Christmas, for some reason.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52But I wasn't a scary Santa this year, which is nice to know.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55So, hopefully I might have the same gig next year.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56Big nice smiles.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00# Jingle bells, jingle bells
0:23:00 > 0:23:01# Jingle all the way
0:23:01 > 0:23:04# Oh, what fun it is to ride
0:23:04 > 0:23:05# In a one-horse open sleigh
0:23:05 > 0:23:08# Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
0:23:08 > 0:23:10# Jingle all the way
0:23:10 > 0:23:12# Oh, what fun it is to ride
0:23:12 > 0:23:14# In a one-horse open sleigh
0:23:16 > 0:23:18# We're dashing through the snow
0:23:18 > 0:23:20# In a one-horse open sleigh
0:23:20 > 0:23:22# Across the fields we go
0:23:22 > 0:23:24# We're laughing all the way
0:23:24 > 0:23:26# Bells on bob tails ring
0:23:26 > 0:23:28# Making spirits bright
0:23:28 > 0:23:30# What fun it is to laugh and sing
0:23:30 > 0:23:32# A sleighing song tonight
0:23:32 > 0:23:34# Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
0:23:34 > 0:23:36# Jingle all the way
0:23:36 > 0:23:38# Oh, what fun it is to ride
0:23:38 > 0:23:39# In a one-horse open sleigh
0:23:39 > 0:23:43# Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
0:23:43 > 0:23:45# Jingle all the way...
0:23:47 > 0:23:55# Oh, what fun it is to ride
0:23:55 > 0:23:59# In a one-horse open sleigh, oi! #
0:24:02 > 0:24:08It's just after quarter past seven on the morning of Christmas Day.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So, a very significant day in the church's calendar,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and for all Christians.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Christmas Day started much earlier for us here at the Minster,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22with our first Eucharist for Christmas Day at 11:30 last night,
0:24:22 > 0:24:27so, for some of us, it was about 2:30 by the time we got home.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29After such a late finish,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Alex is now functioning on a minimal amount of sleep.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38That will make it out to be round about three and a half hours,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41without any interruption.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42So I think, when I get home,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45it might be a few more hours' sleep before we have our Christmas turkey.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53As the city of York wakes up, the vergers are already hard at work.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57More than 1,500 worshippers are expected,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and although Alex is used to running big services,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02he isn't taking anything for granted.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10Well, I've been here 23 years, so I guess this will be my 22nd Christmas.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13But you treat each Christmas, or any festival,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17as though it's the first time you've ever done it, so you don't miss
0:25:17 > 0:25:20attention to any of the detail that we've got to pay attention to.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24And, as if there's not enough to organise,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26a couple of hours before the main event
0:25:26 > 0:25:30there's another service to squeeze in.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Happy Christmas, young man. - Happy Christmas.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- Are you all right? - Yes, thank you.- Good.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I'm about to go up the southwest tower,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41where the bell-ringers are preparing to ring in Christmas Day,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and what I do is just go up and I'll have a prayer with them
0:25:44 > 0:25:47before they ring, and wish them all a happy Christmas,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51and then stay there for a while while they start off the ringing.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Lord God, we thank you for the good news of this day.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56That, on this Christmas Day, we give thanks
0:25:56 > 0:26:00that You shared our life by becoming one of us in Jesus.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03And we pray that, as we ring this morning,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07we would let the city know of these joyful tidings.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10We ask it in Jesus Christ's name.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Amen. - ALL: Amen.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15BELLS RING
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Merry Christmas.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Follow the cross out as normal
0:26:36 > 0:26:38during the Gradual hymn.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It's been a celebration of the birth of Christ,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and another chapter almost complete in the long life of the Minster.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14May the God of all healing and forgiveness draw you to Himself
0:27:14 > 0:27:17that you may behold the glory of His Son.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18The one...
0:27:18 > 0:27:21..bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25To you is born this day, in the city of David, a saviour,
0:27:25 > 0:27:26who is the Messiah.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30800 years ago,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34the current York Minster was built for the worship of God.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It remains a place of faith and devotion.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41The blessing of God Almighty, the Father,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45the Son and the Holy Sprit, be among you and remain with you always.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Amen.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50On one hand you can have tradition,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53that people feel it's stiff and starchy,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and, you know, why don't we radicalise everything?
0:27:56 > 0:28:01But at the same time, tradition can actually give a nice foundation,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03that you know what you're going to get,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06and therefore you can be comfortable with it, and for us,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08the fact that it is that sort of tradition,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10where we are comfortable with it,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13means we can bring some humanity to the whole thing.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18To actually be able to work here and worship here and serve here -
0:28:18 > 0:28:21it's a great honour.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I pinch myself at times, and think, "Do you know?
0:28:24 > 0:28:26"They're paying me to do this, and I'm really enjoying it."
0:28:26 > 0:28:28And it's great.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32And it's really... it is the best job in the world.