0:00:04 > 0:00:07Every August bank holiday for the past 50 years, the streets of
0:00:07 > 0:00:11W11 in London have been filled with the sound of steel drums,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14the smell of Caribbean cooking and the sight of colourful costumes.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This time next week,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20these streets will be full of people enjoying the Notting Hill Carnival.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24I'm Professor Robert Beckford and I've always been fascinated
0:00:24 > 0:00:26by the theology behind the celebration,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30so I've come here to find out about the origins of the event
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and to meet the people who put their faith into the festival.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41# What have you done today to make you feel proud? #
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Also on today's show, former M People lead singer Heather Small
0:00:44 > 0:00:49talks about her music and faith as well as performing for us.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I used to read a passage from the Bible and then come back
0:00:51 > 0:00:55and be asked questions about it and you'd get a little prize,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58which was a sweet, and that was always an incentive for me.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02So Bible studies and sweets, it went well for me.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And we're in Batley, West Yorkshire, for another of our unsung
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- rugby heroes.- Thanks very much. Keep smiling, go on.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Jim McVeigh will be joining the rest of the Songs Of Praise choir
0:01:14 > 0:01:18chosen to sing Abide With Me at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final
0:01:18 > 0:01:20at Wembley next weekend.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Today's programme will have music both traditional and modern
0:01:33 > 0:01:37from the capital and across the country.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And we start south of the river from here in Brixton at Ruach Church
0:01:41 > 0:01:44with an enthusiastic hymn of praise.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45RHYTHMIC CLAPPING
0:03:31 > 0:03:34STEEL DRUM MUSIC
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Carnivals in this area of London date back to the late 1950s
0:03:41 > 0:03:45at a time when racial integration was a real issue.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Michael King's father, Sam, was a local pastor
0:03:48 > 0:03:52and one of the founders of the first carnival.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54It wasn't a radical political statement,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56it was a statement of unity.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00It was something that needed to be done at the time to exhibit
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Caribbean culture,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04bring a positive light to Caribbean culture,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06bring a bit of racial harmony.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It was a way of getting the information over of,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13"These are us from the colonies, here's an experience,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15"an example of how we live
0:04:15 > 0:04:19"and let us live together in harmony and peace."
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Carnival, according to the dictionary,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22means an annual festival,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26typically during the week before Lent in Roman Catholic countries,
0:04:26 > 0:04:31involving processions, music, dancing and the use of masquerade.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36The carnival arose out of the backdrop of the race riots in the late 1950s.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40I just wondered if you could tell me whether you think it's lost
0:04:40 > 0:04:42its connection to Christianity.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44That's a very good question.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Some would say yes but I think things evolve in a way
0:04:47 > 0:04:49because it's all-encompassing.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53They have fun together at carnival, people enjoy one another's
0:04:53 > 0:04:56presence, they enjoy the whole experience, that is an expression
0:04:56 > 0:05:00of love, which is the fundamental tenet of Christianity.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02It's the foundation of knowing God.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Police have arrested over 100 alleged gang members ahead of
0:05:06 > 0:05:08the weekend's Notting Hill Carnival.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10We've had violence, we've had robberies,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14we've had tragic deaths and all sorts of things happening.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18I believe that there is always evil and I think sometimes it rears
0:05:18 > 0:05:22its ugly head and unfortunately it becomes very newsworthy.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25What I'd like to see is newsworthiness of the good things
0:05:25 > 0:05:28that are happening. Let's celebrate the good more.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32So, in some ways, it's evolved and changed but it's up to us to bring
0:05:32 > 0:05:35it back to the core root, which is that God is love and every time
0:05:35 > 0:05:38you're enjoying yourself and loving somebody, he's in the midst of it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Even though Michael was raised a Christian,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45it wasn't until later in life that he found faith.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I had clothing shops when I was younger and it happened in
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Brixton when a friend came, he was evangelising at Brixton station,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54he was driving everybody crazy,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58they actually wanted to attack him and we took him into the shop
0:05:58 > 0:06:02to protect him and he spoke to us and he evangelised and he said,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05"Look, Christ is real. Everything else doesn't count.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07"What counts is your relationship."
0:06:07 > 0:06:09And within two weeks,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I was receiving Christ tearfully into my life again.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14And for someone like me to be called, I was like,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17"God, are you sure you've got it right? I think you've got it wrong."
0:06:17 > 0:06:19But because of life experiences,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and because I know where I've come from and the past that I've had
0:06:23 > 0:06:25and haven't been in church all my life,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I'm honoured and privileged to serve him.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Are you still involved in the carnival?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32We're looking at setting up carnival pastors and this year,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36some of us will be there, we'll be walking round there to support,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39help, love and answer questions because you find when you're
0:06:39 > 0:06:42in clergy collar, people ask you, "Is God real? Why do you love him?
0:06:42 > 0:06:45"Why is there pain and suffering in the world?"
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I blame that on the devil instantly.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51You know, this is the kind of thing that happens when you make
0:06:51 > 0:06:53yourself available to answer God's call.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58Next week, 32 rugby-league-mad fans will walk out onto the centre
0:09:58 > 0:10:01of the Wembley pitch and sing Abide With Me.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05It will be the culmination of a long search by Songs Of Praise
0:10:05 > 0:10:10to find a choir of superfans of the sport to sing this meaningful
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and powerful hymn.
0:10:12 > 0:10:18At the age of 84, Jim McVeigh will be the oldest member of our choir.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22# Abide with me... #
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I've been going to Wembley for many, many, many years.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26And I used to see the choirs
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and I used to sing Abide With Me and cry...
0:10:30 > 0:10:33You're asking for God to come down,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35steer me through the stormy waters,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38help me through stressful times.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I never thought I'd be out there singing it
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and that is a dream come true.
0:10:45 > 0:10:52# Abide with me. #
0:10:56 > 0:10:57It's very quiet yet, you see,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59it'll liven up in about half an hour.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Jim grew up supporting Batley Bulldogs and remembers his
0:11:03 > 0:11:05father bringing him here in the 1930s.
0:11:07 > 0:11:13And he'd a long, black overcoat and when it was bad weather,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16he used to put me between his legs and pull me up
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and I used to peep out through the gap.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Jim is a keen volunteer and at every home game,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27he can be found running the car park.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Keep smiling, go on.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30Over the years,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33he's done a tremendous amount of work for our club,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35so we made him an honorary member
0:11:35 > 0:11:38on his 80th birthday.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39He's a treasure, isn't he?
0:11:39 > 0:11:43They talk about national treasures, Jim's a Batley treasure.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Jim was nominated to sing in the choir by his eldest son, Andrew,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53not only for his love of the game but also for his work in
0:11:53 > 0:11:55the wider community.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Two years ago, Jim fell seriously ill.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04I was a patient on Ward 8 at the hospital with pneumonia.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And I could have died on that ward.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And I came through and I can sing
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and I can shout off at the Bulldogs.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Morning, everybody.- Morning.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21To show his gratitude, the former club singer helps run a choir
0:12:21 > 0:12:25session in the hospital chapel for others with respiratory illnesses.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31A lot of us have bad chests and asthma and one thing and another
0:12:31 > 0:12:36so my little nickname for the choir is the Cough Mixtures.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40One, two, three... Ah!
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Again. Ah!
0:12:43 > 0:12:44Ah!
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Don't think that we're the best singers in the world
0:12:47 > 0:12:51but it does open our lungs up and gets us going, so...
0:12:52 > 0:12:59# Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars... #
0:12:59 > 0:13:00He does a great job.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04We all suffer from the same sort of things and it's such an uplift.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Really, you walk out of here, you feel ten feet high.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11# Hold my hand... #
0:13:11 > 0:13:16And next week, when Jim sings at Wembley, he'll be flying high too.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17I'll do my family proud,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I'll do Batley Bulldogs proud, and I'll do myself proud.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25# Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
0:13:25 > 0:13:29# Cheerio, here I go, on my way... #
0:13:29 > 0:13:30In the meantime,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Jim has chosen our next hymn for the strength it gives him.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40My favourite hymn is How Great Thou Art
0:13:40 > 0:13:45and it means such a lot to me. I've sung it in the choirs,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48it's registered with me and that's my favourite hymn.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12This area of West London has produced some great musical talent
0:16:12 > 0:16:17including Rita Ora, Mark Ronson and Heather Small.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Heather was born and raised in this neighbourhood and went to
0:16:20 > 0:16:23the Good News Club on this street.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26We caught up with her to find out more about her life,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28faith and music.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33# One night in heaven One night in heaven... #
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Heather Small made her name when her band, M People,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38made it big in the '90s.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42But a lot of her fans may not know about her religious roots.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45# One night in heaven One night in heaven... #
0:16:45 > 0:16:51I grew up with music from hymns, from gospel and also from secular.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53We heard Aretha's rock-steady,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55we had some ska
0:16:55 > 0:16:57and reggae and pop.
0:16:57 > 0:17:03For me, to sing a religious song is not unfamiliar to me.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07I think that if it's good music and it's about how you feel
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and what you want to say, then it makes sense.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14# You're my masterpiece... #
0:17:14 > 0:17:17My mother's father used to preach and she grew up in
0:17:17 > 0:17:19a household that was ultra-religious.
0:17:19 > 0:17:25No TV, no radio, all the songs that they could sing and all
0:17:25 > 0:17:27the entertainment was through church.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30She sent us to Sunday school.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33They used to always read a passage from the Bible and come back
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and be asked questions about it and you'd get a little prize,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40which was a sweet, and that was always an incentive for me,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44so Bible studies and sweets, it went well for me.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50I encountered the Good News Club when I was about 11
0:17:50 > 0:17:52and I heard this singing.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54It was so uplifting, I thought,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56"I'm going to just go and see what that's about."
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And I've always been curious about faith, about God.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02And I went in, it was very welcoming, very welcoming,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07and they had Bible studies that engaged and they liked to sing.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09They sang modern hymns.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12# That is why I can sing
0:18:12 > 0:18:14# That is why I can shout... #
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I'm very old-school when it comes to the gospel.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20My favourite definitely has to be Mahalia Jackson.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24She has that power, she's just regal and when she sings,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and she sings with that faith in her heart.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29# Come on, children, let's sing
0:18:29 > 0:18:32# Come on, children, let's shout... #
0:18:32 > 0:18:37If you're a believer or not, you listen to Mahalia Jackson -
0:18:37 > 0:18:40even if it's for three minutes - you're a believer.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43And when somebody's got that kind of power, you know...
0:18:43 > 0:18:44I bow down.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51# What have you done today to make you feel proud? #
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Something like Proud, you know, Search For The Hero,
0:18:54 > 0:18:59I feel that those songs are based in faith, are based in love.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03So I think my faith has helped me make choices, that's what it is.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08Not just about song choices but life choices and whether something
0:19:08 > 0:19:10is morally right for me.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And whether it's something I should be doing,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15whether it's something that I could be proud of.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20# What have you done today to make you feel proud? #
0:19:20 > 0:19:25People Get Ready is an African-American gospel-sounding song
0:19:25 > 0:19:28but some of the greats have done it like Curtis Mayfield,
0:19:28 > 0:19:33who does it with such ease and beauty, but this is my rendition.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39It's about gathering people together, it's about empathy,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and that faith should bring a oneness and not a division.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47And faith is the key and those words resonate.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50# People get ready
0:19:50 > 0:19:54# There's a train a-coming
0:19:54 > 0:19:57# You don't need no baggage
0:19:57 > 0:20:00# You just get onboard
0:20:00 > 0:20:03# All you need is faith, yeah
0:20:03 > 0:20:06# To hear the diesels humming
0:20:06 > 0:20:09# You don't need no ticket
0:20:09 > 0:20:12# You just thank the Lord
0:20:13 > 0:20:16# People get ready
0:20:16 > 0:20:20# There's a train to Jordan
0:20:20 > 0:20:23# Picking up passengers
0:20:23 > 0:20:26# From coast to coast
0:20:26 > 0:20:29# Faith is the key, yeah
0:20:29 > 0:20:33# Open the doors and board them
0:20:33 > 0:20:35# You don't need no ticket
0:20:35 > 0:20:39# You just get onboard
0:20:39 > 0:20:42# Now there ain't no room, yeah
0:20:42 > 0:20:45# For the hopeless sinner
0:20:45 > 0:20:48# Who has hurt all mankind
0:20:48 > 0:20:52# Just to save his own
0:20:52 > 0:20:55# Have pity on those
0:20:55 > 0:20:58# Whose chances are thinner
0:20:58 > 0:21:01# Cos there's no hiding place
0:21:01 > 0:21:04# From the kingdom's throne
0:21:04 > 0:21:08# I said people get ready
0:21:08 > 0:21:11# There's a train a-coming
0:21:11 > 0:21:14# Picking up passengers
0:21:14 > 0:21:18# From coast to coast
0:21:18 > 0:21:20# All you need is faith
0:21:20 > 0:21:24# To hear the diesels humming
0:21:24 > 0:21:27# You don't need no ticket
0:21:27 > 0:21:31# You just thank the Lord
0:21:31 > 0:21:34# You don't need no ticket
0:21:34 > 0:21:37# Just thank the Lord
0:21:37 > 0:21:40# You don't need no ticket, no baggage, no guards
0:21:40 > 0:21:43# No
0:21:43 > 0:21:47# You just thank the Lord
0:21:47 > 0:21:50# This train is bound for Jordan
0:21:50 > 0:21:53# You just th-th-thank the Lord, yeah
0:21:53 > 0:21:55# People get ready
0:21:55 > 0:21:59# Yeah, get on, get on, get onboard
0:21:59 > 0:22:01# Thank the Lord
0:22:01 > 0:22:07# And get onboard. #
0:22:09 > 0:22:12The unmistakable voice of Heather Small recorded just down
0:22:12 > 0:22:15the road at the Hackney Empire.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Our next piece of music comes from further afield.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22This is You Are Good from the New Community Church in Southampton.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26One of the most distinctive sights the Notting Hill Carnival is the costume parade.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Giselle Carter is following in her father's footsteps,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32creating colourful outfits for the Kiddies' Carnival.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Carnival is about masquerade.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39It's about having fun and dressing up and being free.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Our costumes this year, we portray petals, so it's part of nature,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46nature's beauty. So we are celebrating the beauty of nature.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I guess people really dress up because it's
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- a great way to have fun. - What do you mean by masquerade?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Well, I'm from Trinidad and Tobago
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and for us, the masquerade started as
0:25:57 > 0:26:00a result of the freed slaves back in 1833.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02And carnival in the Caribbean and certainly in Trinidad and
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Tobago was born out of oppression and into freedom
0:26:06 > 0:26:09so that's where the freedom of expression comes from.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Hence the reason why you have fantastic costumes that you
0:26:12 > 0:26:14see from all the different carnivals around the world.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18One of the things that has intrigued me is the relationship
0:26:18 > 0:26:21between carnival and Christianity and I just wondered if you
0:26:21 > 0:26:25see carnival having Christian expression,
0:26:25 > 0:26:30or has it moved beyond that and away from any kind of religious meaning?
0:26:30 > 0:26:34No, I think there is still a lot of spirituality within the carnival.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38And there are lots of songs that reflect that as well.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And a lot of the slaves, don't forget, were converted
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Christians so they did use their spirituality,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49they did use their religion in a creative way
0:26:49 > 0:26:51in that freedom of expression,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54so there is a direct correlation and link between the two.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59Is your creativity an expression of your faith and spirituality?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Yes, it is. Yes, it is.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07'Our talents were given to us by the creator and once we use or if
0:27:07 > 0:27:11'we're able to use our talents then it is using something that
0:27:11 > 0:27:15'he gave us and even to glorify his name as well,
0:27:15 > 0:27:20'so I think being creative is godlike, if I would say,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24'because it's a God-given talent that has been given to us and when'
0:27:24 > 0:27:27we use it then we are then glorifying God
0:27:27 > 0:27:29by using what he's given us.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35'I recently lost my father a few months ago and when I create
0:27:35 > 0:27:40'these costumes, I feel him within me, you know,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'I feel his creativity and his spirit helping me,'
0:27:43 > 0:27:47moving me along and even the whole creative process from
0:27:47 > 0:27:50thinking about the concept to actually making it physically
0:27:50 > 0:27:52with my hands because he was really, really creative.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54So it's really, really important for me
0:27:54 > 0:27:57to get involved in this because I really want to see it grow.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I really want people to experience the joy that comes with
0:28:01 > 0:28:05carnival because when you are on the road for carnival,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07all you can think about is having fun.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12# Guide me, o thou great redeemer
0:28:12 > 0:28:16# Pilgrim through this barren land
0:28:16 > 0:28:20# I am weak but thou art mighty
0:28:20 > 0:28:24# Hold me with thy powerful hand
0:28:24 > 0:28:28# Bread of heaven Bread of heaven
0:28:28 > 0:28:31# Feed me till I want no more
0:28:31 > 0:28:33# Want no more
0:28:33 > 0:28:37# Feed me till I want no more
0:28:37 > 0:28:40# Oh, oh, oh, oh
0:28:40 > 0:28:44# Oh, oh, oh, oh
0:28:44 > 0:28:48# Open now the crystal fountain
0:28:48 > 0:28:52# Whence the healing stream doth flow
0:28:52 > 0:28:57# Let the fiery cloudy pillar
0:28:57 > 0:29:00# Lead me all my journey though
0:29:00 > 0:29:05# Strong deliverer Strong deliverer
0:29:05 > 0:29:07# Be thou still my strength and shield
0:29:07 > 0:29:09# Strength and shield
0:29:09 > 0:29:13# Be thou still my strength and shield
0:29:13 > 0:29:16# Oh, oh, oh, oh
0:29:16 > 0:29:20# Oh, oh, oh, oh
0:29:20 > 0:29:24# When I tread the verge of Jordan
0:29:24 > 0:29:28# Bid my fears subside
0:29:28 > 0:29:32# Death of death And hell's destruction
0:29:32 > 0:29:36# Land me safe on Canaan's side
0:29:36 > 0:29:38# Songs of praises
0:29:38 > 0:29:41# Songs of praises
0:29:41 > 0:29:45# I will ever give to thee
0:29:45 > 0:29:48# Give to thee
0:29:48 > 0:29:56# I will ever give to thee. #
0:30:04 > 0:30:07The origins of the carnival may be disputed and over the years,
0:30:07 > 0:30:12they may have become known for reasons other than purely celebration,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14but when it's at its best,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18the carnival can live up to the ideal of Sam King who said,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22"If you lift up the name of God, he will lift you."
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Sentiments that are expressed in the words and actions of our final hymn today.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Thanks for watching.