0:00:15 > 0:00:21This is a town that embraces the very ancient and the very modern.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24These Roman town walls are the oldest in Britain,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26built nearly 50 years before Hadrian's Wall,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30and they enclosed the oldest recorded town in the country.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35And yet 2,000 years on, this is still a city of firsts,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38so, welcome to Camulodunum, better known to us as Colchester.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I'll be taking a tour of unusual places of worship,
0:00:48 > 0:00:53and I'll be finding out about Colchester's high-tech ambitions
0:00:53 > 0:00:56to become the country's first high-speed internet town.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58We sing hymns, old and new,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01and opera star Noah Stewart performs for us.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Everywhere you walk in Colchester,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24you get the feeling that beneath your feet
0:01:24 > 0:01:27there is layer upon layer of history.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Take this castle, for instance,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32built around 1076 by William the Conqueror,
0:01:32 > 0:01:37but it stands on top of the remains of the Roman temple of Claudius.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40They say that if you spread your hands on the stonework
0:01:40 > 0:01:46of the temple, you are touching the foundations of the Roman Empire.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Many of the bricks from Roman buildings were later reused
0:01:50 > 0:01:54to build other important places like this one, St Botolph's,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56which dates back to the 11th century
0:01:56 > 0:02:00when it was one of the earliest Augustinian priories in England.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05So, recycling is hundreds of years old here in Colchester.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08And just at the back there, where the monastery kitchens used to be,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11stands the present St Botolph's,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and it's there that congregations from all over the town
0:02:14 > 0:02:18have gathered to sing their hymns, ancient and modern.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29There's a long history of Christianity in Colchester,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and evidence of belief dating back to Roman times.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I've met up with local historian Andrew Phillips,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38who's promised to show me
0:04:38 > 0:04:41some of the town's most intriguing religious sites.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44And this is probably the oldest Christian church
0:04:44 > 0:04:46visible in Britain today.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49What? Right next door to the police station?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52On a busy roundabout? What did they actually discover here?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We have to thank our archaeologists, really,
0:04:55 > 0:04:56because we are sitting here
0:04:56 > 0:04:59at the very beginning of Christianity in Britain.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Because this is a Roman Church.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04How do you know that it was Christian?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Well, all the way round here was a cemetery,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and we know this is a Christian church
0:05:09 > 0:05:12because all the early burials are buried north-south,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and then suddenly they start burying them east-west.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18And that is a sure sign that they are Christian.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22They are buried in wooden coffins lying facing east
0:05:22 > 0:05:25so that they are there for the Day of Resurrection.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26And they arise.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31And the key thing is this - inside the coffins there are no grave goods.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Because a Christian doesn't need to take anything with them.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Well, look, will you take me with you and show me
0:05:37 > 0:05:40some other old churches around Colchester?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I tell you what, you've heard of a pub crawl,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- we're going on a church crawl. - Sounds good to me.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- This looks really impressive. - Well, yes, indeed.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00This is only the gatehouse of the great St John's Abbey,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03which lay behind us in mediaeval times.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06One of the last abbeys to be seized by Henry VIII
0:06:06 > 0:06:08when he took over the monasteries.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11So what would it have looked like in its heyday?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Well, in its heyday it was a vast community.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17It was a power standing on this hill, facing Colchester,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19on the hill over there.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23It was a hostelry for travelling VIPs, it was a hospital,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26it was a vast institution in its day.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29And of course the loss of it to Colchester was very severe.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30So what happened to it?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Well, in the end, it was seized by Henry VIII,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36when he seized the monasteries. One of the last he got his hands on,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39because the Abbot refused to hand it over.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49You're not going to tell me that this is a church?
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Well, it is, actually, yes.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It's the garrison church that was,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56because Colchester is Britain's oldest garrison town.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57So how old is this?
0:06:57 > 0:07:02Well, this was put up in the time of the Crimean War, and it was actually
0:07:02 > 0:07:06made by the same company which made Florence Nightingale's hospitals.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09It's a prefabricated building.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I can't believe it's so enormous, and it's made of wood.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Indeed it is, and it's probably the biggest wooden church
0:07:15 > 0:07:17in the whole of England.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20But that's not all. The biggest surprise is inside.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Wow!
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Yes, it's a Russian Orthodox Church today.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36Beautifully laid out, as you see, and happily, three years ago,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39the Russian Orthodox community moved in here,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41so we have a living Christian community
0:07:41 > 0:07:44making use of this church once again.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Well, when it comes to unusual churches,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Colchester takes the biscuit.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51We haven't quite done yet. Come with me.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01You don't expect to see a church
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- right in the middle of a shopping centre, do you?- Well, no.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06But it's not a church. It's actually only a spire.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08So where's the church, then?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Well, the church went when we built the shopping precinct,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15because when the shopping precinct was built, we put the new church in,
0:08:15 > 0:08:20and there it is up above, and down below there are shops.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- Worship above, and retail therapy below.- I'm glad they kept that spire.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25Indeed.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27And it stands as a memorial, really,
0:08:27 > 0:08:32to 2,000 years of Christian worship in this town.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Colchester boasts many historical firsts.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56It was here, back in the 16th century,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59that Queen Elizabeth's physician, William Gilbert,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01first coined the word electricity.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Since then, technology has come a long way,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06and Colchester remains at the cutting edge.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It's hoping to become Britain's first high-speed
0:11:09 > 0:11:11wireless broadband town.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Michael Snaith has been involved in the scheme
0:11:14 > 0:11:16aimed at making it happen.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I would have thought that towns as big as Colchester
0:11:19 > 0:11:21would have high-speed broadband already -
0:11:21 > 0:11:22is that not so here?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26There are areas of Colchester where super-fast broadband already exists,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28but people forget that in Colchester,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30two-thirds of the borough of Colchester is rural.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And so, it's very much a case of actually
0:11:33 > 0:11:36enabling the rural parts of the borough of Colchester
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to be included in this new digital age.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43How could you get that service to those outlying areas?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Well, if we're looking at actually using wireless
0:11:46 > 0:11:48to link up with villages in rural areas,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51what we do need in those communities is high points.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- And the highest building in most villages is... - BOTH: The church.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Coggeshall Church on the outskirts of Colchester
0:12:01 > 0:12:03is piloting the project.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06The vicar here is keen to enable the rural community
0:12:06 > 0:12:08to get hooked up to the World Wide Web,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and it's certainly a talking point.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15One question that's going to come up is, "What's it going to look like?"
0:12:15 > 0:12:17We've got these fantastic historic buildings.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Is it going to fit in? Is it going to spoil the look of the building?
0:12:20 > 0:12:24This is the design that we've actually put on the church itself.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27It's designed to be sympathetic with the building.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29If you'd like to have a look.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I think the key aspect is, actually the pilot started three months ago.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34And how many comments have you had about it?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Nobody seems to have noticed the aerials are even there,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39so that really sells a story of its own.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42There will be people who think that the church should get on with
0:12:42 > 0:12:45its age-old "proper job" of spreading the gospel,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48and leave these newfangled projects to other people.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Well, I think the church and Christians down the generations,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54since the invention of the printing press and before,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58have used the latest technology for the spread of the gospel.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01But, actually, this isn't so much about that,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04this is the life that the church has in its abundance,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08sharing something for the local community that it serves.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11The church doesn't exist for itself. Never has.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And the church is there to serve the local community,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and I believe that's something very much part of the gospel for us
0:13:17 > 0:13:19to contribute to, today.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21So, what are the benefits?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The benefits for the wider community are huge,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28because, of course, those rural communities beyond Coggeshall
0:13:28 > 0:13:34who have very low broadband speeds really can't access so many things,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36from simple things like paying their bills online,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38doing internet banking,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41to more serious things like getting their prescriptions downloaded
0:13:41 > 0:13:43from the doctor, those kinds of things.
0:13:43 > 0:13:49The church also gains from having super-fast internet access.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Enid Bardrick is the baptism administrator,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and her job means she's on the computer every day.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58We have about 40 baptisms a year.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59So it's pretty busy, isn't it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:02And very difficult to do without the internet.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Well, for me, it would be impossible,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07because I have decreasing mobility.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11I can't do many of the functions that I used to do.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16I can now really only do things from home, or from a sedentary position.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Do you use the internet a lot at home, then?
0:14:18 > 0:14:23I do indeed, because I do all my shopping, all my food shopping.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I'd starve without the internet.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I do all my clothes shopping,
0:14:28 > 0:14:34I get my repeat prescriptions by logging on to the special website,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and I also keep in contact with people,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38because I've lived abroad a lot,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42and I keep in contact with friends I've made worldwide,
0:14:42 > 0:14:43through the internet.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47What would you say to people who feel they are too long in the tooth
0:14:47 > 0:14:49to learn new skills like computers?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Well, you've just got to try and do it,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54if you want to really be progressive,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and I think they mustn't be overawed by all the people who,
0:14:58 > 0:15:03the nerds, the people who use all these complicated whiz words.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I do get very frustrated with it, from time to time,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08but you get there in the end.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Colchester's newest building is where 21st-century architecture
0:17:16 > 0:17:19meets fourth-century archaeology.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22First Site is a contemporary art centre which has been
0:17:22 > 0:17:24built on top of an ancient Roman site.
0:17:24 > 0:17:30It floats on a concrete plate to preserve the history beneath it.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33First Site directly refers to Colchester's status
0:17:33 > 0:17:35as Britain's first Roman city,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37but it also reminds us that we are here
0:17:37 > 0:17:41to give first site to new ideas, and new art from all over the world.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45The centrepiece of this new building is a mosaic
0:17:45 > 0:17:47unearthed in the 1920s.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51It was the dining-room floor of a Roman townhouse.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Well, today we have a snapshot of what we do,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58so we've got drop-in activities for families for all ages,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00where they can come and enjoy the mosaic,
0:18:00 > 0:18:01but also make some art of their own.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03And we've got an older group of people
0:18:03 > 0:18:07working with one of our associate artists, Jevan Watkins Jones,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10who are making art with him together in the learning space.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17What I'm hoping is that within the activities
0:18:17 > 0:18:19you find something you like.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23There might be one that you really get into, and identify with,
0:18:23 > 0:18:24and, hopefully,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28you'll leave with something that feels a little bit new.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32So, we'll be doing things like breathing on glass,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and experiencing our own breath,
0:18:35 > 0:18:40and the visual effect of our own breath on the mirror, in actual fact.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44I love the way it sort of shrinks back, the way it evaporates,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46disintegrates, it's beautiful.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51I feel my faith comes into it when I get excited about what I'm doing,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and when I feel there is a genuine connection
0:18:53 > 0:18:56happening with those that I'm working with.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Just as your own handwriting is intrinsically unique,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06so is your mark, when you're drawing, intrinsically unique.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09There's a lot of good work being done here.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12The joy of the Lord is my strength,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and I just have to tell myself that every day,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16I think it's all about pursuing that joy,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21and obviously, creativity is where I access that, and tap into that.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34I'm a very young Christian and therefore it's a new walk for me
0:19:34 > 0:19:40in terms of reconciling my ways of making art with what that output is.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42So the images that I create...
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I make work which is very representational, very figurative,
0:19:45 > 0:19:50which tends to be drawing in the landscape, with people in it,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53but I also work quite abstractly with objects,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and things which have a symbolic value.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01So now for me, in reading the Word a lot more,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'm finding ways of bringing my living faith into those images.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16I draw inspiration fundamentally from the natural world,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18you know, which He has created.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And that's what I desire to tap into,
0:20:24 > 0:20:31that sort of natural order, that life force, which comes from God.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38# I'll walk with God
0:20:38 > 0:20:42# From this day on
0:20:43 > 0:20:51# His helping hand I'll lean upon
0:20:51 > 0:20:56# This is my prayer
0:20:56 > 0:21:01# My humble plea
0:21:01 > 0:21:09# May the Lord be ever with me
0:21:12 > 0:21:17# There is no death
0:21:17 > 0:21:21# Though eyes grow dim
0:21:21 > 0:21:25# There is no fear
0:21:25 > 0:21:31# When I'm near to Him
0:21:32 > 0:21:40# I'll lean on Him forever
0:21:40 > 0:21:48# And He'll forsake me never
0:21:51 > 0:21:56# He will not fail me
0:21:56 > 0:22:02# As long as my faith is strong
0:22:02 > 0:22:14# Whatever road I may walk along
0:22:14 > 0:22:18# I'll walk with God
0:22:18 > 0:22:24# I'll take His hand
0:22:24 > 0:22:28# I'll talk with God
0:22:28 > 0:22:33# He'll understand
0:22:33 > 0:22:37# I'll pray to Him
0:22:37 > 0:22:40# Each day to Him
0:22:40 > 0:22:45# And He'll hear the words
0:22:45 > 0:22:50# That I say
0:22:50 > 0:22:54# His hand will guide
0:22:54 > 0:22:58# My throne and rod
0:22:59 > 0:23:04# And I'll never walk alone
0:23:04 > 0:23:17# While I walk with God. #
0:23:25 > 0:23:28The Romans said the only good thing to come out of Britain
0:23:28 > 0:23:30were Colchester oysters.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The town has been famous for them ever since,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37and celebrates with an Oyster Feast which dates back to 1318.
0:23:41 > 0:23:47The oysters are grown just south of Colchester on the Essex coast.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49For centuries, the Hawards
0:23:49 > 0:23:52have been harvesting them here on Mersea Island.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54My family's been
0:23:54 > 0:23:57growing oysters here since the mid 18th century.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03And, we've got evidence that my however many times grandfather, it was, in 1792,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07actually sailed to Billingsgate Market to deliver oysters.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11And every generation since then has been involved in it.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14The boats were sailing boats, and everything was done by manual labour,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17hand-hauling the dredgers, and that.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Nowadays it is made easier by modern aids
0:24:20 > 0:24:23such as diesel engines and hydraulic winches and that,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25but the method is still the same.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Every day, you're dealing with the natural world,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32which is ever-changing, and has changed over time.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35You've got to have a belief that this comes from somewhere,
0:24:35 > 0:24:42and where else can it have come from but God, a supreme being?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Richard supplies oysters all over the country,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55but some are served up by his wife Heather
0:24:55 > 0:24:59at the family's quayside cafe, known as The Shed.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Originally The Shed was a purification plant for the oysters.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Richard bought The Shed several years ago
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and had this bright idea that I would like to run it,
0:25:08 > 0:25:09and sell fish and stuff.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13There was one window that opened onto the road, and I just had this...
0:25:13 > 0:25:15You know, we'd sell stuff out the window,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17shrimps and cockles and stuff like that.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20People started coming then, word-of-mouth,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24then it got a bit bigger, and it's busy practically all the time now.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's rough and ready, and I think a lot of people like that. They don't like to
0:25:27 > 0:25:31come in and you're fussing round them, putting napkins on their lap.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34And plus, I've always allowed people to bring their own bread,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and their own wine, which they have done, for years.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42For Heather, The Shed is a way of putting her faith into practice.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Because we get so full up,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I'll just put total strangers on the same table.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51And being a bit British they are like, I could see, "Ooh"
0:25:51 > 0:25:52but within five or ten minutes,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56you have two couples sitting at the table sharing their bread,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58sharing their drink, and they're all making friends.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02I always think they are sort of my fellowship, in a way.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08In this church is a very nice stained-glass window.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Somebody had this idea of doing a stained-glass window
0:26:12 > 0:26:15more or less dedicated to the fish and the oysters.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Two or three people came up with designs, and they chose this one.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22They started a fund, raising money and that.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And I said, "Well, for every oyster I sell, I'll put a penny in a pot."
0:26:25 > 0:26:27So, I did things like that.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30In the end Richard said, "I'll tell you how many oysters you've had
0:26:30 > 0:26:32"rather than you keep putting a penny in."
0:26:32 > 0:26:34And a lot of different people give donations.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Every time I look at it I think it's so good. Just such a...
0:26:38 > 0:26:41You know, and when the sun is behind it, it's brilliant.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43And the church, and the oysters, and the fishing
0:26:43 > 0:26:48are all long-term parts of the community here.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42'Heavenly Father, ever constant,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46'as each generation is blessed by your love and compassion...'
0:28:46 > 0:28:49'Help us to make the most of the present, and appreciate
0:28:49 > 0:28:55'the beauty of the world around us, and the fruits of your creation.'
0:28:55 > 0:28:58'May we today plant seeds of hope and harmony,
0:28:58 > 0:29:03'which will bring fulfilment and peace to those who follow us.'
0:29:03 > 0:29:06'Loving God, as we go our separate ways,'
0:29:06 > 0:29:09help us to see the world through your eyes,
0:29:09 > 0:29:10to share and celebrate our gifts,
0:29:10 > 0:29:16to work together for change and to care for our communities.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son,
0:29:20 > 0:29:25and the Holy Spirit, be with you this day and for ever more.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27ALL: Amen.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34# Risen Lord, Risen Lord
0:29:34 > 0:29:38# Give us a heart for simple things
0:29:38 > 0:29:42# Love, laughter Bread, wine, and dreams
0:29:42 > 0:29:45# Fill us with green growing hope
0:29:45 > 0:29:50# Risen Lord, Risen Lord
0:29:50 > 0:29:54# Make us a people whose song is Alleluia
0:29:54 > 0:29:59# Whose sign is peace and whose name is love
0:29:59 > 0:30:04# Risen Lord, Risen Lord
0:30:04 > 0:30:07# Give us a heart for simple things
0:30:07 > 0:30:11# And to sing Alleluia...
0:30:11 > 0:30:15# And to sing Alleluia
0:30:15 > 0:30:20- # Risen Lord, Risen Lord - Aaaah-ah-ah-ah
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- # Give us a heart for simple things - Ah-ah
0:30:23 > 0:30:28- # Love, laughter Bread, wine, and dreams - Aaah-ah-ah
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- # Fill us with green growing hope - Ah-ah-ah
0:30:31 > 0:30:36- # Risen Lord, Risen Lord - Ah-ah
0:30:36 > 0:30:40# Make us a people whose song is Alleluia
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- # Whose sign is peace - Ah-ah-ah
0:30:43 > 0:30:46- # And whose name is love - Ah-ah-ah-ah
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- # Risen Lord, Risen Lord - Ah-ah-aaaah ah-ah
0:30:50 > 0:30:54- # Give us a heart for simple things - Ah-ah-ah
0:30:54 > 0:30:58# And to sing Alleluia
0:30:58 > 0:31:04# And to sing Alleluia. #
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Well, as we sing praise here this evening,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13it is reassuring to think that there has been Christian worship
0:31:13 > 0:31:16in this town since Roman times, 2,000 years ago.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Which means that our last hymn this evening is a relative youngster -
0:31:20 > 0:31:22only 250 years old.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24But it does come from the pen of Charles Wesley,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27so from all of us here in Colchester tonight,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30it's goodbye with Ye Servants Of God.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Next week, Aled meets some of today's gifted hymn writers.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34They reveal what inspires them to compose the wonderful hymns
0:33:34 > 0:33:38that are already becoming classics for congregations around the world.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk