0:00:06 > 0:00:09Westminster Abbey is a flagship institution,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12it's right there at the centre of national life in this country.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Westminster Abbey is the Coronation Church.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15The Abbey has been the place
0:00:15 > 0:00:19where people commemorate the great men and women of our history.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Here was the origins of Parliament.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I think of the Abbey as being an upbeat place.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28The most unusual phone call was from Michelle Obama's Secret Service.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31On a standard day, we would probably process 1,000 people per hour.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Even though we are a massive tourist attraction,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36we still are very much a living church.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Westminster Abbey represents faith at the heart of the nation.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41To think that there have been people
0:00:41 > 0:00:43with their eyes turned in the same direction
0:00:43 > 0:00:46towards the worship of God in this place for over 1,000 years.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50There's a feeling of a really Rolls-Royce musical set-up here.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Being the Queen's choristers,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53we really can't afford to let her down.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Quite a lot, I see people crying.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59When you sing, it brings tears of joy and sadness.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02I do wake up every day and think this is a fantastic place to be.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04It's a thrill. Even after 17 years.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Can you believe you've got that to look after?
0:01:07 > 0:01:10There's a tremendous sense of being part of something
0:01:10 > 0:01:12that goes back all those hundreds of years.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13It's a magnificent building.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I feel like I'm part of history just being here.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Autumn at Westminster Abbey
0:01:39 > 0:01:40marks the start of a period
0:01:40 > 0:01:43known in the Christian calendar as Michaelmas.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45The Michaelmas term is rather curious,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48because it's like the beginning of the year
0:01:48 > 0:01:50in so many different ways.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53After people's summer holidays, schools resume.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57People think of it almost as the beginning of a new year,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59and yet it simply continues the liturgical year
0:01:59 > 0:02:02towards the culmination of the liturgical year.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04And then beginning again on Advent Sunday,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07for a new start four weeks before Christmas,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10getting us towards the great Christmas festival.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13There is something magical about hearing boys sing the carols.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15I mean, Once In Royal David's City,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18once they start that, it is just wonderful.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Christmas at the Abbey is a fabulous feast.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Just full of light and colour,
0:02:23 > 0:02:24the music is heavenly.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28It really does remind us of Christ's coming among us.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33The Abbey Choir School is preparing to welcome a fresh intake of boys.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I've been doing this now for more years than I care to remember,
0:02:36 > 0:02:37but it is always exciting,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40because the school is always completely new each Michaelmas,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43and there's a sense of starting the school afresh.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The boys tease me here because I say, once the new boys come back,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48"Right, now we're complete, now we can begin."
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Eight-year-old George is getting ready
0:02:51 > 0:02:54for his first day at his new school.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57'It's kind of a lurching feeling,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00'like I've got something that I haven't yet got,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03'that I can get if I really want to'
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and if I train hard, and all that stuff, I can get it.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I can grab it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I've never slept at school before, so I'm a bit scared.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19'The thing that I will miss the most is my family.'
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Are you going to miss me?
0:03:22 > 0:03:24For over a century,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27this small boarding school within the Abbey grounds
0:03:27 > 0:03:30has trained boys between the ages of eight and 13
0:03:30 > 0:03:32for the world-famous choir.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36For the new boys, it's the start of five years,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40during which they will eventually sing at daily services
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and at some of the nation's most important occasions.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50When they arrive, there's always that little bit of apprehension -
0:03:50 > 0:03:52how they're going to settle,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54whether they're going to be all right.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Because it's a really big thing to be away from home.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I know it's a small school - we've got 35 boys this year -
0:04:01 > 0:04:04but to them, and they see all these bigger boys
0:04:04 > 0:04:07who are wandering around who know exactly what they're doing,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09they seem very big to them.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13And I think it just hits them, "Oh, I'm away from home."
0:04:16 > 0:04:18'He woke up at six o'clock this morning,'
0:04:18 > 0:04:21he was running round the house, going, "I'm going to school today!"
0:04:21 > 0:04:24He put on his uniform really early and had to be told to take it off
0:04:24 > 0:04:26because he'd get it so grubby.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'I try to encourage independence in the boys,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34'I don't want us to be doing everything for them.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'So I like them to be able to dress themselves, for example.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Stupid, simple little things,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42like if you're buying a new shirt, wash it a few times
0:04:42 > 0:04:45because the button holes can be really tough for small hands.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'There will be moments when perhaps they feel a little bit wobbly,'
0:04:52 > 0:04:54but soon there'll be something for them to do
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and they'll get on with it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59But, actually, it's poor mum at home who goes past the empty bedroom,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01or is feeling the loss,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and I think it can be very difficult for parents.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It's going to be really weird for her
0:05:06 > 0:05:08because I'm always singing in the house
0:05:08 > 0:05:13and my brother will be at nursery and my sister will be in reception,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15so the house will be pretty quiet.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19All summer, and since Luca got in, we've felt fine and confident,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and then today it was like, this is really happening
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and he's going to come here and he's going to sleep somewhere else.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27So it's felt really odd today,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29a little bit like waiting for an exam to start.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31It's lovely to have you all here.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35We're going to suggest that we say our farewells.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37I suggest fairly quickly,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and then the boys are going to be whisked away
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and they'll make a start, but a hugely warm welcome for us all.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Just had a...
0:05:48 > 0:05:52little anxious moment about half an hour before we left.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53But after that...
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Yeah, he didn't want to say goodbye, really. He just wandered off.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I didn't even get a kiss.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02He shook my hand. First time in his life he did that!
0:06:03 > 0:06:06The boys are joining an institution
0:06:06 > 0:06:09with a history stretching back over 1,000 years.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Since its transformation from a Benedictine monastery
0:06:14 > 0:06:17into the great church that stands today,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Westminster Abbey has been at the centre of our national life.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Bound by its location next to the Palace Of Westminster,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29it was here at the Abbey, in its 13th century Chapter House,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33that the origins of parliament began when the King and his Council met.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Canon Andrew Tremlett is responsible
0:06:38 > 0:06:43for overseeing the Abbey's enduring relationship with the state.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Here we are in the most busy of the squares in London,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48traffic all around us.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And on one side we've got Parliament, the legislature,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55which we think of as the houses over there,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00started its life in a great way within the Abbey itself.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02The other side, over there,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05we've got the Supreme Court, highest court in the land.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Down on the north side we've got the Treasury, HMRC,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Whitehall, Downing Street.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17And on the south side, we've got the Abbey and St Margaret's.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21So, in fact, this a fantastic place just to illustrate
0:07:21 > 0:07:25what I think is one of the big questions in British life,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28which is about where's the place of religion?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And I think it's part of our national character.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33We've grown and developed as a nation
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and part of that, I think, is about the monastery, the church,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40being part of our national texture and tapestry.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Ensuring the Abbey remains at the heart of national life
0:07:45 > 0:07:48is the responsibility of the Dean,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50assisted by a senior lay executive
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and four senior clergy called canons.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The Dean's personal assistant is Dr Non Vaughan O'Hagan.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Every season within the Abbey has got its own flavour,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06but I think if there's one particular season
0:08:06 > 0:08:08or term that's distinct,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10it's got to be the Michaelmas.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Because there's a very strong sense of it
0:08:12 > 0:08:14being the beginning of an academic year,
0:08:14 > 0:08:15but at the same time,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19you've got these great moments leading up to Christmas.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22The dates we mark off
0:08:22 > 0:08:24have a significance and a resonance
0:08:24 > 0:08:28which is over and above just this building,
0:08:28 > 0:08:29just this community.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32They're nationally important,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35not simply for this church, but for everybody.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Our community seems to be a little pebble
0:08:38 > 0:08:41and the ripples move out
0:08:41 > 0:08:43to communities beyond and people beyond us.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49The busy Michaelmas term
0:08:49 > 0:08:52begins with a ceremony linked to Britain's recent past.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56One that highlights the Abbey's ongoing role
0:08:56 > 0:08:58as a keeper of the nation's history.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The relationship between the Abbey and our national life
0:09:02 > 0:09:04has a great many different strands to it.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07But clearly, one of the important strands
0:09:07 > 0:09:10is in terms of the relation with the armed services,
0:09:10 > 0:09:11and that's particularly obvious
0:09:11 > 0:09:15because of the grave of the Unknown Warrior being here.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16And there's another element to that,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19which is that the Queen is the head of the armed forces.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21So it's a natural relationship.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And the annual commemoration of the Battle Of Britain
0:09:24 > 0:09:28is an important feature of our life as an abbey.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- ARCHIVE FOOTAGE - 'In the first ten days of the Battle Of Britain,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35'Goering launched 26 major attacks to get command of the air,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39'and lost 697 aircraft.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42'The British lost 153.'
0:09:49 > 0:09:52WINSTON CHURCHILL: 'The gratitude of every home in our island,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'except in the abodes of the guilty,
0:09:59 > 0:10:00'goes out to the British airmen,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'who, undaunted by odds,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06'unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11'are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess
0:10:11 > 0:10:13'and by their devotion.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16'Never in the field of human conflict
0:10:16 > 0:10:20'was so much owed, by so many, to so few.'
0:10:23 > 0:10:26The Battle Of Britain obviously is remembered
0:10:26 > 0:10:28by an enormous number of people
0:10:28 > 0:10:32as a key moment in the life of the nation
0:10:32 > 0:10:36during the tremendously testing time, during the Second World War,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38when the few stood.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40It's almost theological, you know,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42the few standing for the many,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45just as our Lord stands for us, as it were,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48hangs for us on the cross. So these few,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51these gallant few, stood for us.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Since 1944, the Abbey has held their Service Of Thanksgiving
0:10:55 > 0:10:58for those who sacrificed their lives during the Battle Of Britain
0:10:58 > 0:11:01in the summer of 1940.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Lovely, super. OK, let's do the...
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Minor Canon the Reverend Michael Macey
0:11:07 > 0:11:11is responsible for arranging the service.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15'Putting together a special service is a jigsaw'
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and sometimes all the pieces fall into place exactly,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21'other times they just need turning a little bit.'
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Roger, on my left here, is our chief honorary steward here.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27If he asks you to do something,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30follow what he asks, please, ladies and gentlemen.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Unless it's something ridiculous, and then...don't. Um... Sorry.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Well, that rules out practically everything!
0:11:36 > 0:11:38It does rule out quite a lot.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Battle of Britain, because it's such a long-standing service,
0:11:41 > 0:11:46there's a relatively prescribed format anyway for the service.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Obviously with the veterans not getting any younger,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51there is an added complication,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54but the Veterans Association are fabulous.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56They work very closely with us,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00they tell us what their needs are, and we try to accommodate them.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03DRUMS PLAY
0:12:05 > 0:12:07BRASS INSTRUMENTS PLAY
0:12:15 > 0:12:20To see some of these old men walking up the aisle,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22tremendously courageous still...
0:12:22 > 0:12:26we have a coffee for them before the service
0:12:26 > 0:12:29and I say to them sometimes, "Would you like to sit down?"
0:12:29 > 0:12:32And they say, "No, I'm better standing up..."
0:12:32 > 0:12:34you know, they're all well into their '90s,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38my father's generation, and I'm just overwhelmed by it, really.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Once again, we come together on Battle of Britain Sunday
0:13:04 > 0:13:08to give thanks for the dedication and heroism
0:13:08 > 0:13:12of members of the Royal Air Force and the Allied Air Forces.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Their courage marked a turning point in the war,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20for without their bravery, it's hard to see
0:13:20 > 0:13:23how the Second World War could have been won.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28Immeasurable pride to be at Westminster Abbey,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32and there we are on one day of the year,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34the centre of everybody's eyes.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's just very, very reassuring,
0:13:36 > 0:13:42heart-warming and you want to do your best for everybody,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46and it's getting harder and harder to keep a straight line.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48What it really means, I think, is that we're remembering
0:13:48 > 0:13:54old friends that we knew who aren't here today,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and that's what saddens one.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59There are so few of us left.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04I think the count last night was 57 survivors.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I'm not normally an emotional chap, but a lump comes into my throat,
0:14:08 > 0:14:14because with me and somewhere else are old friends,
0:14:14 > 0:14:19and I feel very much aware of all those wonderful chaps in my squadron
0:14:19 > 0:14:22that I first served with as a 19-year-old schoolboy.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Next year is the 60th anniversary
0:14:46 > 0:14:49of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
0:14:49 > 0:14:50at Westminster Abbey,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the 39th monarch to be crowned here.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Monarchs through history have contributed hugely
0:14:58 > 0:15:00to the life of Westminster Abbey.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05It's important to get the Coronation clear in our minds.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09It's a profoundly important religious service
0:15:09 > 0:15:14at which the monarch is not simply crowned but anointed.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19So inevitably, the Abbey is important to the monarch.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The chair on which Queen Elizabeth II was crowned
0:15:22 > 0:15:25was commissioned by King Edward I in 1300,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29and has played a central part at coronations ever since.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33To mark the anniversary,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Surveyor of the Fabric Ptolemy Dean
0:15:36 > 0:15:39has been designing a new setting to house the chair.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41If you think about what the chair is,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44the nation has seen it as the embodiment
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and the symbolic representation of the monarchy itself,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49the heart of the state,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and there's something so wonderfully British about the fact
0:15:52 > 0:15:54that the chair should be preserved
0:15:54 > 0:15:58in its sort of semi-dilapidated condition.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It is an incredibly important fragment.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The plan for the chair is that it is going to be redisplayed
0:16:06 > 0:16:10in the St George's Chapel. Actually, the thought is to enclose it
0:16:10 > 0:16:14in a small canopy. The canopy is like a four-poster bed.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It creates a sense of something precious that goes on within.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23How tall you make it, how wide you make it,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27has an effect on how big or small the chair looks,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and of all the things that you could be asked to tackle
0:16:30 > 0:16:32and display and think about,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36it is one of the most important objects.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Everyone will be there looking at it in 2013
0:16:40 > 0:16:43when we have the 60th anniversary of the coronation,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and it needs to be looking right.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50A model of Ptolemy's design is going to be built and tried out
0:16:50 > 0:16:55in St George's Chapel before a new, permanent display is created.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58It's part of a bigger plan
0:16:58 > 0:17:02to transform the Abbey in the 21st century.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06The man in charge of major projects is its lay head,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Sir Stephen Lamport, the Receiver General.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's a very old role in the history of the Abbey.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15I mean, it goes back to the medieval period
0:17:15 > 0:17:17when it was a job that was probably done by a monk
0:17:17 > 0:17:20or possibly by a lay brother,
0:17:20 > 0:17:25and in those days it was actually a job designed to take in
0:17:25 > 0:17:29the rents and tithes of the abbey and its estates
0:17:29 > 0:17:31'from across the country.'
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Is that the chapter?
0:17:32 > 0:17:33Yes, that's the full site.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'And then with the reformation'
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and with the closing down of the monastery,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41this job became a job that was given to a lay person.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I think I'm the 31st since the 1530s.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I'm rather like the chief executive of the Abbey.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I'm responsible for all the non-liturgical aspects
0:17:51 > 0:17:54of what the abbey is and how it functions,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58so I'm responsible for the finances, for the people, for the fabric,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02for the fundraising, and we've all in our different ways
0:18:02 > 0:18:05been given a very small slice of the Abbey's history
0:18:05 > 0:18:09to be custodians for. It's never stopped still.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12If you look at the history of the Abbey over the last thousand years,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14it's constantly been refreshed and renewed
0:18:14 > 0:18:18and we see the changes that we have done and are wanting to do
0:18:18 > 0:18:20as being just very much part of that process.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25A recent major change has been
0:18:25 > 0:18:29the conversion of the old monastic food store, called the cellarium,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34into a cafe and restaurant, the first in the Abbey's history.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40In October, it was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And, Your Royal Highness, I'd like you to unveil the plaque.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46APPLAUSE
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Of even greater significance are the current plans
0:18:51 > 0:18:55to convert the vast unused space high above the Abbey floor,
0:18:55 > 0:18:56called the triforium.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The triforium is an extraordinary place
0:19:00 > 0:19:04that Henry III probably designed to be chapels
0:19:04 > 0:19:08replicating the space below, and they've never really been used.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11We're surrounded here just at the moment by a number of things
0:19:11 > 0:19:14that have been collected over the years,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16but it's only been used for storage,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and it's a vast and extraordinary place
0:19:18 > 0:19:21that goes all the way round the inside of the Abbey.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25We're planning to make it accessible to people so that we can
0:19:25 > 0:19:28create a display space up here and see some of the wonderful treasures
0:19:28 > 0:19:31that we're not able to show at the moment.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36The proposals for the development of the triforium
0:19:36 > 0:19:39would create the most radical alteration to the exterior
0:19:39 > 0:19:42of this World Heritage Site since architect Nicholas Hawksmoor
0:19:42 > 0:19:46added his famous West Towers in the 18th century.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49The most controversial part of this proposal
0:19:49 > 0:19:52is the access into this space,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55because there are two current narrow spiral staircases
0:19:55 > 0:20:00which are hopeless, and so we have got to make a new spiral staircase
0:20:00 > 0:20:04and a lift that's suitable for disabled people.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07This is where we're going to hope to put the doorway of the new lift
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and stair, and this monument will go up,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13so you'll come in through here, and it's the only piece of wall
0:20:13 > 0:20:16that there is which doesn't have a window in it,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20so this is a rather tentative study which we produced
0:20:20 > 0:20:26about how one might make a staircase and a lift access to up here,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30and it's a new tower structure that would be partly concealed
0:20:30 > 0:20:35by the buttress of the chapterhouse, which is immediately outside here,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and in this crunch of gothic mullions
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and tracery and pinnacles, and here's this Henry VII chapel,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and effectively you've got your back to parliament
0:20:46 > 0:20:49looking that way, so it's sort of as far into a corner
0:20:49 > 0:20:51as you can get into a corner here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56But making changes to a building of such historic importance
0:20:56 > 0:20:59is highly sensitive. The Abbey has to undertake
0:20:59 > 0:21:03thorough structural and archaeological investigations
0:21:03 > 0:21:05before any planning permission can be sought
0:21:05 > 0:21:07for their ambitious new plans.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17Westminster Abbey has adapted to reflect an ever-changing world,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19but some traditions haven't changed since the Middle Ages
0:21:19 > 0:21:22when Edward the Confessor built his church here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26We enjoy this one. Very colourful,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29see all the judges with all their robes on.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32It brings the Abbey alive,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35all the processions and all the outfits.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39On October 1st, over 600 judges take part in a religious service
0:21:39 > 0:21:42that heralds the start of the legal year.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Since the medieval period, the Middle Ages,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52judges have come from Temple where the courts are processed along
0:21:52 > 0:21:55through Westminster, and come to the Abbey for a service.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Before the Reformation, there was always a communion service
0:21:59 > 0:22:02so they had to fast beforehand.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I think it may reveal that I haven't been on a fast for some time.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10But it's certainly a time to think about the fact
0:22:10 > 0:22:13that you have something responsible to do.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It's a significant reminder of how serious
0:22:15 > 0:22:17the things we do really are.
0:22:17 > 0:22:23I hover between being in awe of the continuity and the ceremony
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and thinking it's all a bit surreal, frankly.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Ever since Edward the Confessor built his palace,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31there's been a very obvious geographical link
0:22:31 > 0:22:34between the institutions of government and governance,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36legal institutions and the Church,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and there is something phenomenally moving
0:22:39 > 0:22:42about seeing the judiciary at prayer.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45In the 12th century,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Henry II established the High Court in the Palace of Westminster.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Ever since, the Abbey has been a place of reflection
0:22:53 > 0:22:54for the judiciary.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's wonderful seeing so many women actually robing.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I gather that in the past when they had this ceremony,
0:23:04 > 0:23:05there were sort of half a dozen women,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and we had a room full of people getting dressed this morning,
0:23:08 > 0:23:09so that's jolly exciting, isn't it?
0:23:09 > 0:23:14To see the interweaving of constitutional and governmental
0:23:14 > 0:23:17with the religious in such an obvious way,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and there are parts of the ceremony which show that so visually
0:23:20 > 0:23:24in terms of the wigs and robes that are worn by the legal officers,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27in the same way that that's evidenced by the vestments worn by clergy,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29that it's not just about the individual.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It's actually about the role, and in the judges' service,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36there's a sense that we are not just speaking
0:23:36 > 0:23:38on behalf of our own generation
0:23:38 > 0:23:42but we're recommitting to a series of legal principles,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46to an idea of Christian justice
0:23:46 > 0:23:49which has underpinned these islands for centuries.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53At the beginning of the legal year,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56we gather in the presence of Almighty God,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58who is the judge of all
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and who knows the secrets of our hearts,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05to renew our commitment to the service of the Crown
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and of all the people in the cause of justice.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Historically, as head of the judiciary,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15the Lord Chancellor allowed the judges to break their fast
0:24:15 > 0:24:17by offering them food after the service.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22This ritual continues today with a breakfast
0:24:22 > 0:24:25held in the Great Hall of the Palace of Westminster.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It must be very quiet in your house now that you and Hugo aren't there.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34As the legal year begins,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37the first year boys are settling into their new school.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41In addition to their usual schoolwork,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43for one hour every morning, they have singing lessons
0:24:43 > 0:24:46as part of their training to become choristers.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47Thank you, Ned.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52# Magnificat in B Flat
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The leap that they make from their former life
0:24:58 > 0:25:03up until the age of eight to being a full-blown member of the choir here
0:25:03 > 0:25:06is not really a leap. It's made gradually,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09so in their first year, they are doing very little singing in the Abbey.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12we're just trying to give them a grounding
0:25:12 > 0:25:14not just physically with their singing,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17but also with a theoretical grounding in music,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20so they understand the notation that's in front of them.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22OK, now, can you be really advanced?
0:25:22 > 0:25:23And...
0:25:23 > 0:25:26THEY SING
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I enjoy actually singing the pieces.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35That's probably my favourite part,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37but I don't know about you, Angus.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Mine is Mr Quinney playing the piano.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's really, really professional,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46and I'll probably only be able to play like that
0:25:46 > 0:25:48when I'm only about 20 years old.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51OK, let's do it a little bit faster...
0:25:51 > 0:25:53HE SINGS
0:25:53 > 0:25:57THEY SING
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Hang on, hang on, hang on...
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I hope they're having fun in my rehearsals.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05They have to be very focused rehearsals, though,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08because that's one of the skills they need to be in the choir
0:26:08 > 0:26:12so, without being draconian or miserable about it,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15they have to know that when they're given an instruction
0:26:15 > 0:26:18it's important they listen to that and are able to do it straight away.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Let's not go back to making a mistake once we've corrected it.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22One and two...
0:26:22 > 0:26:26THEY SING
0:26:26 > 0:26:29OK.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32We never know if we're all going to come in at the same time.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36You're like, "Come on, make sure everyone comes in at the same time."
0:26:36 > 0:26:38'And then usually we do.'
0:26:38 > 0:26:41THEY SING
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Someone did a "G"! Someone did the "G"!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47HE SINGS
0:26:47 > 0:26:51You've got to just do the vowels and join them up. It's tricky.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55This week, we've been practicing Magnificat Nunc Dimiits in...
0:26:55 > 0:26:56That was last week.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01No, we haven't really done anything this week...
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- We haven't really done any songs yet...- Last week then,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08it was Magnificat in D...sharp, I think.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- No, D flat.- D flat.- D flat, yeah.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14They're doing really well, they're a really lively bunch
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and very bright and some very good musicians.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19In fact, they're all very strong,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22so...they're a bit of a handful,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25but in a good way.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28We want lively, interesting people.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34At the beginning of their second year,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37boys are formally accepted into the choir.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41'Well, one of the great things about these choirs is that every year,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43'there is a slight change of personnel'
0:27:43 > 0:27:46through the natural processes of people leaving
0:27:46 > 0:27:47and going somewhere else.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51It enables a new generation to come into their own.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54'And giving the surplice,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58'which is the white smock-like robe that members of the choir here wear
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'to the boys who've completed a full year of training.'
0:28:00 > 0:28:04It's a sort of rite of passage, as it were.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07The white surplice was originally worn in winter months
0:28:07 > 0:28:09by clergy to conceal fur cassocks,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12but became established as a chorister's gown
0:28:12 > 0:28:13by the 14th century.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17The Dean presents them with the surplice
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and they make promises to behave well in the choir and to try their best,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24and it's a symbolism that they've gone through their apprenticeship
0:28:24 > 0:28:27and they're now ready to take part in the services.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It's the duty of the choir to lead the people of God in worship.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36By its conduct, to set an example...
0:28:36 > 0:28:38'You could feel everybody's eyes watching you
0:28:38 > 0:28:42and you just thought, "This is the start
0:28:42 > 0:28:45"of actually becoming a chorister."
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Do you promise to be a faithful member of this choir?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51ALL: I do.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Do you promise to do your best at all times?
0:28:54 > 0:28:56ALL: I do.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58It's quite nerve-wracking just waiting for it
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and remembering what to say when you actually get your surplice
0:29:02 > 0:29:03presented from the Dean.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09I often think, "Gosh, in a few years' time you'll be very different,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12"you'll have all sorts of experiences and be moving on..."
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and it's quite exciting to try and capture that moment, for a moment.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19May Almighty God accept the offering of your worship,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- Amen. - ALL: Amen.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27When you wear that surplice you feel like you're setting an example.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31- I felt quite proud. - Yeah, I felt quite proud.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34The wearing of special clothing for religious rituals
0:29:34 > 0:29:36dates back to the Old Testament,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39which calls for sacred garments to be worn
0:29:39 > 0:29:41when ministering in a holy place.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Let me have a look at that Advent frontal...
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Maureen Jupp runs a small group of volunteers
0:29:49 > 0:29:52responsible for maintaining the nearly 400 vestments
0:29:52 > 0:29:55that Abbey clergy and lay staff use throughout the year.
0:29:55 > 0:30:01You do realise this material was given by Edward VII?
0:30:01 > 0:30:02- Oh, right.- For his coronation.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07Now retired, she applied for a job as a verger at the Abbey in 1978.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12My husband said, "That would be a good job for you,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14"you like history and church",
0:30:14 > 0:30:17and I said they would never accept a woman.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Well, in those days they didn't,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23and he said, "Well you'll never know until you try."
0:30:23 > 0:30:25It was five interviews in three months.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28You had to prove that you could actually do the work,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30as they said, of a man,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34so my little test was, the four candle sticks
0:30:34 > 0:30:36that are around the Unknown Warrior's grave,
0:30:36 > 0:30:41I had to carry them from the crypt up to the Unknown Warrior's grave,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and that proved that I was strong enough.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49And then they phoned my husband and said,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53would it be all right if they offered me the job...
0:30:55 > 0:31:01And so that's how I became a verger of Westminster Abbey, 34 years ago.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05As soon as I got to the Abbey, having a sort of woman's eye,
0:31:05 > 0:31:11I found that the vestments were really in a poor state of repair
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and so I had some friends to start,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18and as I say, two of the ladies are still with me 30 years later.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21You've got to go down the side seam, don't forget, don't take it out.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- Have we?- Yeah, along the top.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29So, you have chaps coming in for their cassocks
0:31:29 > 0:31:32to have buttons on or taken up,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35so you know there's work all the time.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39ANNOUNCEMENT: 'Welcome to Westminster Abbey, and five o'clock evensong
0:31:39 > 0:31:42'will be sung in the choir and all visitors are welcome.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'Please make your way up the left-hand side of the nave
0:31:45 > 0:31:48'and be seated by the vergers.'
0:31:48 > 0:31:52"A refreshment car is available for passengers that wish to take it"(!)
0:31:52 > 0:31:55It is slightly that, isn't it?
0:31:56 > 0:32:00We're sitting now in my favourite part of Westminster Abbey.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03We're in the heart of the building.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07We're in a part that public aren't allowed normally to reach.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11It's the shrine of Edward the Confessor, the founder of the Abbey,
0:32:11 > 0:32:16the original builder of the building before the Norman Conquest.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21And this fantastic space was created for him
0:32:21 > 0:32:26by King Henry III as a wonderful celebration of his predecessor.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29And if this doesn't convert you to Christianity,
0:32:29 > 0:32:30I don't know what would.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33You are above everything else around you,
0:32:33 > 0:32:39entombed and encapsulated in this heavenly stonely paradise.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43One's absolutely back in the 13th and 14th century sitting here.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49Noted for his piety, Edward the Confessor, was made a saint in 1161,
0:32:49 > 0:32:54and his burial place has been a site of pilgrimage ever since.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Today is St Edward's Day, and pilgrims from all over the country
0:32:59 > 0:33:04are embarking on a spiritual and physical journey to the Abbey.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Well, we're setting off just after six and we have to be there by 11
0:33:07 > 0:33:10for the Eucharist, and it's five hours and it's 15 miles,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14so that's three miles an hour which doesn't actually sound that fast
0:33:14 > 0:33:17but that is a fast walking pace, so we're going to be pushing it
0:33:17 > 0:33:19to get there, but we'll do our best.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Father Martin Powell is leading a group of 15 pilgrims
0:33:22 > 0:33:25from St Edward's Church in New Addington
0:33:25 > 0:33:29on the outskirts of South London to pray at the shrine of St Edward.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34The Canon in charge of welcoming the pilgrims at the Abbey
0:33:34 > 0:33:36is Jane Hedges.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Well, Edwardtide's the time all around St Edward's Day,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43so, it's actually St Edward's Day today, October 13th,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47that's the day his body was translated from its original resting place
0:33:47 > 0:33:51in front of the high altar into the wonderful shrine that we now have,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and it's been there ever since, and all of that happened
0:33:54 > 0:33:56back in the 13th century.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59This year's been a real tough year for us.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01I've lost five friends,
0:34:01 > 0:34:03my dad died this year, my brother-in-law,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06my sister-in-law and a friend, so it's been a tough year.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11I'm 78 on September 3rd, I was.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14And I thought, I've walked to Croydon,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17let's try it to London,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20and so long as the Lord's with me, with a bit of luck I'll make it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23It's quite a spiritual day for me really, because
0:34:23 > 0:34:25I started chemo three weeks ago
0:34:25 > 0:34:29and I wanted to connect with God on the walk
0:34:29 > 0:34:36and just prove something to myself that I'm not defined by my illness.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42In a way, we've recovered pilgrimage to St Edward the Confessor in recent years,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46and it occurred to me and Canon Jane Hedges, my colleague,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50that this is a great place, but at the heart of it
0:34:50 > 0:34:52is our saint,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55a very rare survival from the Middle Ages,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59and if we're to encourage holiness in people
0:34:59 > 0:35:02and in our nation in our own day,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05then one way of doing it is to encourage pilgrimage.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Since the earliest days of Christianity,
0:35:09 > 0:35:14pilgrimage has been a way for Christians to reaffirm their faith.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Traditionally, many of these journeys were undertaken barefoot.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21We're a bit footsore, but we're OK.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23You can see how footsore we are.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26If it hadn't been for my friends, I wouldn't have made it.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30It's been a brilliant experience, it's great.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Come on, next year!
0:35:32 > 0:35:35My feet really, really hurt. Blisters.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38But glad that we're almost here now.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51- Did you walk all the way? - We did, yes.- Fantastic, fantastic!
0:35:51 > 0:35:54And then I gather you walked barefoot across the bridge?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- Just across the bridge, yes. - Wonderful.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58- Well, I hope it's been a good journey.- It's been fantastic.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00I know that he's going to be with me
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and he's see me through the journey, which he did.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08I've got sore feet, but other than that I'm quite all right.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Coming into the chapel, when we go to St Edward's tomb,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17the whole thing will be finished.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25The heart of Christianity isn't an institution,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28it's a movement inspired by experiences of God,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32beliefs about God. It's not rites and ceremonies,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35it's a whole way of life.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38The Reverend Vernon White is the Canon Theologian
0:36:38 > 0:36:41responsible for religious study and teaching.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45A Canon Theologian's role above all
0:36:45 > 0:36:50is bringing people into conversation about some of the mysteries
0:36:50 > 0:36:54of the whole of life, not just what goes on in church.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58And to try and bring together, for example, the history
0:36:58 > 0:37:02which is embedded in the Abbey, quite literally,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06in the monuments and the building, and to ask the question,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10in a lecture or seminar... a private conversation,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13"what are God's purposes through that history?"
0:37:13 > 0:37:18Two years ago, the Abbey received a request from the army training centre
0:37:18 > 0:37:24at Pirbright in Surrey, asking if they could visit with their new recruits.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27The young soldiers come quite near the beginning of their training
0:37:27 > 0:37:32to a day devoted to what is called the realities of war,
0:37:32 > 0:37:38and part of that visit includes standing around that grave of the Unknown Warrior.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43I'm just going to say a little bit about where we are,
0:37:43 > 0:37:48although you may well know about the tomb of the Unknown Warrior here.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53Put here in 1920 at the suggestion of a British Army chaplain,
0:37:53 > 0:37:58David Railton, wrote to the Dean of Westminster at the time,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00who discussed it with the Prime Minister, Lloyd George,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03and they agreed it would be a good idea
0:38:03 > 0:38:06for an unknown warrior to be buried here.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11Four bodies of unknown soldiers were disinterred from military cemeteries
0:38:11 > 0:38:14around where fighting had taken place in the First World War.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17A brigadier was blindfolded,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20the brigadier just put his hand on one of the four.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22That was the one that was chosen,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25so nobody knows at all who it is who is here.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I feel it's quite important for us to come and visit
0:38:28 > 0:38:31and pay respects to the Unknown Warrior.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Seeing something like this, brings home the realities of war.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36When you're watching films and things, you can't relate to it,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40whereas when you're here, it really does hit hard,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44that one day we could be in the Unknown Warrior's shoes.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47For me personally, this is really special,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51because one of my friends, I lost one of my really good friends,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54about a week ago, she got buried.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57And she was the third female to pass away, so coming here today,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00is a special occasion for me, personally.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06In 1928, ten years after the First World War ended,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10people began to lay crosses on the green between St Margaret's Church
0:39:10 > 0:39:13and the Abbey, in memory of those who had died.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Every November, the Field of Remembrance stands as a symbol
0:39:18 > 0:39:22of the nation's respect for those who have given their lives
0:39:22 > 0:39:24serving their country.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31'At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34'the First World War ended...
0:39:34 > 0:39:37'That date, that time
0:39:37 > 0:39:43'have become a symbolic moment on which to pause in silent remembrance and gratitude.'
0:39:48 > 0:39:54I see the spiritual future and mission of the Abbey
0:39:54 > 0:39:57always to engage with the wider world
0:39:57 > 0:40:01to look outwards, and the Abbey has increasingly found itself
0:40:01 > 0:40:04in a role where it can offer hospitality
0:40:04 > 0:40:08and a safe place for real conversation and meeting
0:40:08 > 0:40:12between people who have come from different faiths,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16from no faith and also from different churches, of course,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18not just the Anglican church.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Today we're having a group of Muslims to have
0:40:24 > 0:40:26a Muslim-Christian dialogue.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29It's about interfaith marriage, and obviously during the course
0:40:29 > 0:40:33of the day, the Muslims within the group would like to pray. We've
0:40:33 > 0:40:36decided that this is probably the best space to allow them to do so.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41But I understand that it's important for any space in which
0:40:41 > 0:40:46Muslim prayers take place not to have any images
0:40:46 > 0:40:51of either animals or humans in them, so things like this which have animal depictions on them,
0:40:51 > 0:40:55I'm removing them from the room in order to make it a space that's comfortable for them.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00If we don't welcome people properly, then what are we here for, really?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04So that's what I'm doing. Obviously they're praying towards Mecca
0:41:04 > 0:41:08but precisely in which direction that is in relation to this room
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I'm not entirely clear, but I can only assume they would know precisely
0:41:12 > 0:41:16in which direction they need to use this room, but it's roughly in that direction.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I'm looking for a meeting with the Christian-Muslim Forum?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21In Jerusalem chamber. If you go...
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Canon Andrew Tremlett is hosting this event
0:41:24 > 0:41:27for the Christian-Muslim Forum.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30My role as canon rector includes relationships with Parliament,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Whitehall, other faith communities.
0:41:32 > 0:41:38So this is a great place to launch these interfaith, ethical marriage guidelines
0:41:38 > 0:41:40for Muslims and Christians.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44Good afternoon, everybody, and a warm welcome to Westminster Abbey.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49That idea is that these will now be published for all churches,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53all mosques across the country, as guidance.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56It's not that this becomes law set in stone that they have to use,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00but it's being offered as pastoral best practice.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04And the proof will be in the pudding.
0:42:04 > 0:42:10The growing and increasing number of interfaith marriages, at least a couple a week.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14The need is increasingly there.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16I have been aware of inter-faith marriages happening
0:42:16 > 0:42:18in this country for 30 years or so.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21This is the first time I have seen religious leaders,
0:42:21 > 0:42:23especially from the Muslim and Christian traditions,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27coming together and openly discussing some of the difficult issues.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30So I think Westminster Abbey has set an example here
0:42:30 > 0:42:33by helping to launch a very high profile event like this,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36which makes it easier for mosques and synagogues,
0:42:36 > 0:42:42other churches, temples, to also hold similar discussion in their premises.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47THEY PREY
0:42:47 > 0:42:51It's a national issue and this is a national place,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53A place of national importance where
0:42:53 > 0:42:57events that matter in the life of the country get marked.
0:42:57 > 0:43:03It is a great honour to be here, to think about this big religious and social issue.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08If people are in any way worried that the Christian church is
0:43:08 > 0:43:11straying onto territory that isn't its own,
0:43:11 > 0:43:18I think I'd want to say that all political life, all social life, has some sort of moral dimension,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23I believe it has some sort of spiritual dimension, too,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27so in fact life is seamless, you can't separate out one bit from another.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31# Praise him, praise him Praise him, praise him
0:43:31 > 0:43:36# Praise the everlasting king. #
0:43:36 > 0:43:40I could spend the next half hour on that verse but I haven't got time to, so listen up...
0:43:40 > 0:43:45As well as singing at daily worship and special services,
0:43:45 > 0:43:49the Choir produces one or two commercial recordings a year.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54You can never really recreate an actual building itself,
0:43:54 > 0:43:55with the best gadgets in the world.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58what you really want to do is capture
0:43:58 > 0:44:04the real McCoy, as it were, rather than trying to fake it with electronics.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09# Praise him, still the same forever... #
0:44:09 > 0:44:13PAPER RUSTLES # Slow to chide and swift to bless... #
0:44:13 > 0:44:16So we're going to have to edit the recording whenever
0:44:16 > 0:44:20there's a page turn, are we? We've got to get the page over sooner and silently.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24We needed a lot of rehearsal to make the hymns perfect.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27We've been banged on the head about words, getting the words
0:44:27 > 0:44:31exactly right, cos that's crucial, especially with hymns.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34The word "Prrr", remember, you can pitch the "R", boys.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Just the R.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39ALL: # Prrrr... #
0:44:39 > 0:44:42For us, it's principally an eavesdropping exercise.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45I don't want them to do anything that they wouldn't normally do,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48maybe I might ask them for a little more text than they might
0:44:48 > 0:44:51normally do, this is a disc of hymns. I'm going to ask them to
0:44:51 > 0:44:55perhaps put in a little more, dare I say, sincerity in to the delivery
0:44:55 > 0:44:58of the text than they might do in the environment of a service.
0:44:58 > 0:45:04Very optimistic, because it's such a well oiled ship, that this will go fabulously well.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08James? I think we've got talk-back going now. Hurrah. Yes. Good.
0:45:08 > 0:45:13- In that case, I suggest we start with Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven.- Good plan.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- You happy to go?- Yeah, go for it.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21MUSIC: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
0:45:29 > 0:45:34When you're singing evensong, you're only singing to the amount of
0:45:34 > 0:45:35people in the Abbey,
0:45:35 > 0:45:39but when there's a recording, many more people
0:45:39 > 0:45:46will hear you and you feel pleased that you're letting more people hear you.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50# Praise the everlasting king. #
0:45:50 > 0:45:55Nobody gets rich recording hymns or sacred choral music.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58It is not about making money.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00The underlying rationale
0:46:00 > 0:46:02for recording is not actually commercial,
0:46:02 > 0:46:07it is far more interesting than that. There really is an ambassadorial role.
0:46:07 > 0:46:14The thing is to have the work of the choir out there, because the choir is part of the DNA of the Abbey.
0:46:14 > 0:46:19# Praise him, praise him Praise him, praise him
0:46:19 > 0:46:27# Glorious in his faithfulness. #
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Autumn turns to winter. In the basement of the Abbey,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35the Works Department is focussed on the heating.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Right, here we are, this is the Abbey's boiler room,
0:46:40 > 0:46:45supplies all the heat for the Abbey, and the most important radiator, the one in the Dean's office.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48If that goes, we're in trouble.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Keeping the Abbey warm is quite a challenge,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54we've got three big boilers here which are more than
0:46:54 > 0:46:57capable of doing it, but because we've got all the doors open
0:46:57 > 0:47:01all day, there are so many draughts coming through where the
0:47:01 > 0:47:04public are in and out, it's very difficult sometimes to keep the heat
0:47:04 > 0:47:07in the Abbey. We had some issues the past week.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Thursday we had a power failure, myself and Wayne, the electrician,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14we were here till 1:30 in the morning.
0:47:14 > 0:47:22As I live in Chelmsford in Essex, it was easier for me to try and sleep in our canteen.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24The things we do for the Abbey, honestly!
0:47:26 > 0:47:302013 marks a major event for the Abbey,
0:47:30 > 0:47:32the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation.
0:47:34 > 0:47:39After five months of planning, Ptolemy Dean is testing a model
0:47:39 > 0:47:43of the plinth he has designed to present the ancient Coronation Chair.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45This is amazing.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48We'll see whether it is too high or too low...
0:47:48 > 0:47:52You'll have the hardest lift, you need to lean over to pick it up.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55It's been conserved and structurally stabilised
0:47:55 > 0:48:00so it's in very good condition, better condition than it has been for a very long time.
0:48:07 > 0:48:13Because we've never done a four-man lift before, we usually use planks and things like that,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16so actually touching it makes me a little anxious.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18But they're very good.
0:48:19 > 0:48:20OK...
0:48:22 > 0:48:27We were worried that if we left it in the centre of a vast expanse
0:48:27 > 0:48:31it would look miniscule, but it actually it looks rather...
0:48:31 > 0:48:35When it's got the red drape it will look quite nice
0:48:35 > 0:48:40and I think we need to get in place the metal railing that they'll propose to put here,
0:48:40 > 0:48:46so that we can then gauge where the right line is to stop people from coming too close.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50One wants it to look timeless, effectively, and hopefully to
0:48:50 > 0:48:54last till the next coronation or the coronation after that.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58The design now has to be approved by the Abbey and Buckingham Palace
0:48:58 > 0:49:02before the permanent plinth can be built out of oak in time for next year's celebration.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Early December sees the end of the liturgical year.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15Preparations begin for the great festival of Christmas.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19Christmas is obviously a very beautiful and wonderful season,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21and for us the birth of our lord Jesus Christ is wonderful and we
0:49:21 > 0:49:26have to prepare for it, we prepare for Christmas through advent.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31So advent, the four weeks before Christmas, are supposed to be
0:49:31 > 0:49:38a solemn and penitential time when we remember death, judgment, heaven and hell.
0:49:39 > 0:49:46That has to be living alongside the fact that probably for two
0:49:46 > 0:49:51months or even three, the shops are full of Santa and decorations
0:49:51 > 0:49:55and Christmas songs and people are doing their shopping and
0:49:55 > 0:50:00thinking about how they can afford Christmas and all the rest of it.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04Christmas in the shop is a very busy time for us, we usually start
0:50:04 > 0:50:07our Christmas here in October
0:50:07 > 0:50:10and have a three-month build-up to the big day.
0:50:10 > 0:50:15We get all our advent calendars and our Christmas cards out, then nearer
0:50:15 > 0:50:19to Christmas we have all our decorations out and dress our windows.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23There is an expectation from the customers that shops will be
0:50:23 > 0:50:28dressed and ready for Christmas earlier and earlier every year,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32but we tend to stick to October because we're not a high street shop,
0:50:32 > 0:50:34we have to remember that we're at the Abbey.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40I'm searching for gifts for Christmas.
0:50:40 > 0:50:46We get some money from the headmaster go to on Amazon and buy some gifts we would like.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51We've been given £26 to spend on our presents,
0:50:51 > 0:50:55and that's quite a lot and the hard thing is how to spend it.
0:50:59 > 0:51:04- How much is it?- It's £33.- And how much is the limit?- 26.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09The headmaster keeps them in his office when they arrive,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11but he wraps them up and we open them on Christmas Day.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15As soon as everyone gets up we are allowed to go downstairs and open them.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Christmas at the Abbey is a wonderful time.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Most of the people who come to the Abbey are visitors,
0:51:20 > 0:51:26so you're joining with their fun and sense of celebration and being on holiday. For a lot of people,
0:51:26 > 0:51:30they're coming out of the Abbey and saying, "This is the best bit of Christmas for me."
0:51:34 > 0:51:39It's Monday morning today and we're overseeing the erection of the Christmas tree on
0:51:39 > 0:51:43North Green, and that's what I like about our job here,
0:51:43 > 0:51:48the Works Department get involved in all types of activities and jobs that go on.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52One minute we're here all night long trying to get the heating going,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55the next moment we're doing a nice job like this, erecting a Christmas tree.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59That's what makes it such a wonderful place to work.
0:51:59 > 0:52:05RADIO: 'They're having problems with their radiators in their offices, and also the Deanery.'
0:52:05 > 0:52:08OK, John, I'll get on to it.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11# Once in Royal David's city... #
0:52:11 > 0:52:15The Choir is preparing for the annual Christmas Carol concert
0:52:15 > 0:52:18which will be attended by over 1,000 people.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22I very much enjoy it because it is the only non liturgical occasion,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26in other words, not a service, where people get to sing with the Abbey Choir.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31And also, I get to conduct them, I'll turn around and I encourage them, cajole them into it a bit.
0:52:31 > 0:52:37The Choir enjoys it because normally we sing, we sing day after day,
0:52:37 > 0:52:39all through the year,
0:52:39 > 0:52:41and never get a round of applause.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44It is quite nice when you are in a concert situation
0:52:44 > 0:52:47to be able to look the audience in the eye and know that if they like it,
0:52:47 > 0:52:49they are going to show their appreciation.
0:52:49 > 0:52:56# Once in Royal David's City... #
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Once in Royal David's City is quite a famous carol,
0:52:59 > 0:53:04and right at the beginning it has one of the most wanted solos.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09It's traditional each year for one boy to do that solo.
0:53:09 > 0:53:17# Once in Royal David's city In a manger for his bed... #
0:53:17 > 0:53:20It's really wanted because you're quite exposed
0:53:20 > 0:53:22and everyone can hear you and that is quite a nice feeling.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26It's just a great piece and a great carol to sing,
0:53:26 > 0:53:30and it's right near the beginning of the concert and it's quite special.
0:53:32 > 0:53:33We put a lot of effort into it,
0:53:33 > 0:53:39and a lot of time into rehearsing those pieces, and we still haven't absolutely
0:53:39 > 0:53:44sort of...well, we don't actually know who's doing the solo yet.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47Ladies and Gentlemen,
0:53:47 > 0:53:52it's a very great pleasure to welcome you here after evensong to this brief moment
0:53:52 > 0:53:56where we are going to light the Christmas tree.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:54:04 > 0:54:09# Ding dong, merrily on high In heav'n the bells are ringing... #
0:54:09 > 0:54:11I'm really looking forward to Christmas.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13I'm looking at my advent calendar
0:54:13 > 0:54:17and saying "Go quicker, go quicker go, quicker..."
0:54:17 > 0:54:24I like carols cos they're all cheery and it means and Christmas is soon!
0:54:24 > 0:54:26For the first and second year boys,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29term ends in the middle of December, but the older choristers
0:54:29 > 0:54:33are on duty until the afternoon of Christmas Day itself.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36People say, "When do you break up for Christmas?
0:54:36 > 0:54:38"Christmas day? That's not very good."
0:54:38 > 0:54:40But actually we do so much in Christmas period,
0:54:40 > 0:54:47we go to the cinema, we go to the theatre. Then we have all the big services. They are always exciting.
0:54:47 > 0:54:52On Christmas Eve we get a movie to watch because we have Midnight Mass,
0:54:52 > 0:54:54which is really fun.
0:54:54 > 0:54:59I know it's midnight, which is tiring, but it's still really fun.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Then on Christmas Day you go down to the library and you get a stocking, it's really good.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Then you go down to the music room and you get your presents and your clothes, it's really fun.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Yeah, it's really fun.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Christmas at Westminster Abbey.
0:55:10 > 0:55:18And somehow there is a timelessness about this place. It is like being a child all over again.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22It sends a shiver up and down your spine.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24It can bring a tear to the eye sometimes.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28It is always spine-tingling hearing the Once In Royal,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31because I sang Once In Royal quite a few times at my dad's parish,
0:55:31 > 0:55:35so I get a sense of what they are going through. My stomach is in a knot.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37We have a bit of nerves, but not, not...
0:55:37 > 0:55:41- But we're professional, so... - Yeah, we're professionals!
0:55:41 > 0:55:45I'm performing from the organ loft, so I'll be quite high above the congregation.
0:55:45 > 0:55:52I feel quite nervous, because it's very, very exposed and there's no organ part playing with me
0:55:52 > 0:55:54and there's no other choral part singing with me.
0:56:02 > 0:56:08# Once in Royal David's City
0:56:08 > 0:56:16# Stood a lowly cattle shed...#
0:56:16 > 0:56:19'Speaking very personally,'
0:56:19 > 0:56:22I find much of the life of the Abbey intensely moving,
0:56:22 > 0:56:30and I find it almost impossible, personally, to sing all the Christmas hymns, as I find
0:56:30 > 0:56:34myself breaking down at some point, I just can't complete the verse.
0:56:37 > 0:56:46# Jesus Christ, a little child. #
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Walking round the Abbey when it's completely empty,
0:56:48 > 0:56:54that's when this building really does wrap itself around you in this most beautiful
0:56:54 > 0:56:58and hauntingly wondrous way.
0:56:58 > 0:57:05And I constantly have to pinch myself sometimes that what I am part of, what I am helping to look after,
0:57:05 > 0:57:09is something of such extraordinary beauty and extraordinary importance.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12That, to me, is pretty overwhelming sometimes.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20It is a very special place to work and live.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25And Christmas makes it doubly so, I think.
0:57:31 > 0:57:36Whatever kind of destabilises our world in other ways, in the secular world,
0:57:36 > 0:57:44and whatever we go through, I think that in places like the Abbey, I would like to think that the music
0:57:44 > 0:57:50and the liturgical worship of the Abbey will continue and will flourish.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53ALL SINGING "ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID'S CITY"
0:57:57 > 0:58:01The Abbey will continue to represent faith at the heart of the nation,
0:58:01 > 0:58:08and I'm absolutely confident that faith will not fly from the heart of our nation.
0:58:42 > 0:58:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd