Once a Chorister Songs of Praise


Once a Chorister

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# Pie Jesu Domine... #

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OK, so I have changed quite a bit, haven't I?

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But so have the famous faces we're meeting this week.

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We have one thing in common. We were lucky enough to be choristers.

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This week, I catch up with conductor Sir Mark Elder,

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David Lammy MP

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and wine expert Olly Smith to chat to them about their chorister days,

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with music from some of the very best choristers

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from across the British Isles.

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CHORAL HARMONY

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When I look back at my time as a chorister in Bangor Cathedral,

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I not only remember the wonderful music I was fortune to sing

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but also that glorious building I was in.

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Mind you, it wasn't as glorious as this one.

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That time as a chorister is very dear to my heart

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and I'm looking forward to meeting others

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who shared a similar experience

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and finding out how it shaped their lives.

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Still today, thousands of choristers don their choir robes

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to lead the worship in all sorts of buildings,

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from rural churches to grand cathedrals like this one.

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We'll feature some of them today.

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Our first hymn comes from Beverley Minster,

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where the choristers lead the congregation in a hymn

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that celebrates everyone's love of singing. It's Angel-Voices.

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Before we hear from our other guests,

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I caught up with my good friend Simon Lole,

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who was a chorister here at St Paul's Cathedral

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and later, director of music at Salisbury Cathedral, to chat about all things chorister.

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So this is it, the nerve centre of choral music in the cathedral.

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Yeah, this is where it all happens, all the hard work. Music round the walls, the piano.

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All the congregation see is the angelic bit and this is the graft.

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Yeah, this is where all the hard work happens, day after day, morning, evening.

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Why is it that when you speak to choristers these days, they say,

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"What I learnt as a chorister stayed with me all my life"?

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Well, it's an interesting thing. It is so special because, obviously,

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there's a remarkable musical discipline -

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you learn so much musically and you're doing it all the time, so you're infused with this technique,

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but there's so much more.

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You learn about things like punctuality.

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Heaven forbid if you're late for choir practice,

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-you must have been there when you were late and the choir master...

-Dodging the hymn books!

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It's interesting how you grow in confidence

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and in ability day after day. You get to know the music.

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I remember when I first came here and these big boys singing this beautiful music,

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I felt completely out of my depth. It's weird, isn't it?

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It is that feeling of being totally lost at the beginning.

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I remember my first rehearsal in a choir room a bit smaller than this one in Bangor,

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but everything was a bit smaller in Bangor,

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and following the musical notes with my finger

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and not knowing what was happening and thinking, "What have I done?"

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Simon's chorister training stood him in good stead

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when he became director of music at Salisbury,

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inheriting the first cathedral girls' choir in the country.

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Make sure there's a nice, warm crescendo on that.

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It's something I've championed for many years and I believe

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so strongly in girls singing in cathedral choirs. Why not?

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I don't think I would have concentrated so much on the singing

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if there had been a gorgeous girl standing next to me, even at 11.

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LAUGHTER

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I went back to the cathedral last year to celebrate 20 years

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and it's amazing.

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They're now breaking through into the university world, the professional singing world,

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and it's fantastic to see.

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There's a saying, "Once a chorister, always a chorister."

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-Do you think it's true?

-I think it's absolutely true.

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All the people I meet in all walks of life who've been choristers

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always look back very fondly on the experience.

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Often, it doesn't matter... I chose to make music my profession,

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but there have been so many people who have been successful in other walks of life

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and who've used a lot of the experiences from being a chorister

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and translated that into their professional lives.

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It's helped them enormously, really.

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# I know that my Redeemer liveth

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# And that He shall stand

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# At the latter day

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# Upon the Earth

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# I know that my Redeemer liveth

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# And though worms destroy this body

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# Yet in my flesh shall I see God

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# Yet in my flesh shall I see God

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# Shall I see God

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# I know that my Redeemer liveth

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# For now is Christ risen from the dead

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# The first fruits

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# Of them that sleep

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# Of them that sleep

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# The first fruits

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# Of them that sleep

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# For now is Christ risen

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# For now is Christ risen

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# From the dead

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# The first fruits

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# Of them that sleep. #

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World renowned conductor Sir Mark Elder was a chorister

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as Canterbury Cathedral in the 1950s,

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which meant heading off to choir school at a very early age.

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I was eight when I went and I remember begging not to be sent,

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I remember crying for the first few nights for the first few terms.

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It was a very difficult thing to do,

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to pull a family apart.

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But I think I soon realised that there was going to be

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great excitement.

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The job of being a chorister is not just fun.

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There is fun attached to it but, actually, it's work.

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It's learning how to be responsible,

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how to appear in public day after day and perform,

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to walk with the right grace and the right speed.

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We used to have secret processing lessons in the cathedral at night,

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when nobody else was there.

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The musical list came out once every two weeks, I seem to remember.

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We used to rush after service and try and see what was written up,

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and what we were going to do.

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Of course, we were all drama queens in the making at that age.

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We all wanted to see how many solos there would be,

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and who was going to get the solo.

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"He did it last time, perhaps I'll get it this time."

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Oh, we were little divas.

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Terrible!

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# Glory to Him

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# Glory to Him

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# Glory to Him... #

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When I find myself conducting, specifically sacred music,

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as opposed to religious music -

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deeply spiritual music,

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and The Dream of Gerontius is a very good example of that -

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the experience I had as a chorister

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undoubtedly informs how I feel

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conducting it.

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But there's something else -

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there's a sense of being in touch with something

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on another level.

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I very often think

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that I owe my career in music

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to the fact that my parents

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organised that I should be a chorister.

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As the years go by,

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I'm more and more convinced

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that there is some

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energy or higher power

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connecting the events of our life together.

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And I think it was a wonderful present,

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actually,

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that I should have been given this chance

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to open my ears,

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open my heart...

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And get me in some state

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where I could start to face the rest of my life.

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# Amen. #

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Not all choristers

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end up as professional musicians.

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Member of Parliament, David Lammy,

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was a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral.

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I sometimes say to people,

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when I became a minister

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in the Government,

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and you're going through your papers,

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you've got to have the discipline to do that

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last thing at night or first thing in the morning.

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Actually,

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I think back to those days as a chorister

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and the rigour of practice

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and application, day after day after day.

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And also a sense of duty

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that you're following in the footsteps of

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many thousands of other young choristers,

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over many years.

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And you're providing a service to the local community.

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I remember walking into the cathedral for the first time,

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and there is this big sort of smell

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of limestone

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that I must have got addicted to,

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cos you get it in the House of Commons as well.

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I think the highlight for me

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was Songs Of Praise

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in 1983,

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because, you know,

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I was on telly!

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And my mum and dad were here in attendance.

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Very proud,

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telling their friends.

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And it was a very, very special moment.

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I don't think

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the choirmaster would say

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that David Lammy was a model chorister, put it that way.

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I'm embarrassed to say

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that on the stalls,

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my name's scratched in!

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HE LAUGHS

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I'm afraid I was a very mischievous, naughty chorister.

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Actually,

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there have been moments in my life when things have not gone well,

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when very quietly, I've gone on a train,

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come up to Peterborough - it's only 45 minutes from London -

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sat here,

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and that strong sense of faith

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that I still have,

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I draw very much from being a chorister.

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I find now that I'm 40,

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that it's music

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that helps me understand

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and get into my faith.

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Whether that is

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soaring anthems,

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like I Was Glad.

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Whether that is gospel music

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that makes your eyes water.

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Erm, jazz - whatever it is,

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it's music that lifts me to that other plane.

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Erm...

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And I'm very grateful, in a sense,

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that the discipline of being a chorister

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has helped me tap into that.

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# Lord now lettest thou Thy servant

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# Depart in peace

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# According to Thy word

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# For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation

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# Which Thou hast prepared before the face

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# Of Thy people

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# To be a light to lighten the Gentiles

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# And to be the glory

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# Of Thy people Israel

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# Glory be to the Father

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# And to the Son

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# And to the Holy Ghost

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# As it was in the beginning

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# Is now and ever shall be

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# Is now and ever shall be

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# World without end

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# World without end

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# World without end

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# Amen. #

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# Amen. #

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# Amen. #

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I'm all at sea off the East Sussex coast,

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for Saturday Kitchen, but it's time to put the anchor down, head ashore,

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and find some tip-top wines for today's show. Land ho!

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'Saturday Kitchen's wine expert,

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'Olly Smith,

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'became a chorister at King's College Cambridge,

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'28 years ago.'

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I wonder if choristers get a taste for wine, because they...

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-Do you think?

-HE LAUGHS

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I don't know.

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I loved it. I loved all the finery

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and the incense, the wines, the smells and the stimulation.

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I certainly enjoyed the flavour of the communion wine.

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So, yeah, maybe!

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I was in and out of this building every day of my life.

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It's such a privilege to have been here,

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been part of the history of this amazing building.

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Probably the ultimate place to be a chorister, isn't it?

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I certainly had the most incredible time,

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and it changed my whole life -

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there's no question about it.

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The incredible self discipline,

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and the incredible exposure you get to music...

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When you think of the range of all the different things we would sing,

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right from Britten's Rejoice In The Lamb

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to the old psalm chants.

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An extraordinary education.

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# Gloria... #

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The first thing that comes to mind, of course,

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is the carol service at Christmas.

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-Yes...

-Once In Royal David's City, and all that business.

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I think I was lined up to do it

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the year my vice broke.

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-Oh!

-I know.

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Gutting! Absolutely gutting.

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But it was terrifying. We'd stand over by the screen,

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the red light would go on, and you'd know you were on air -

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to the entire world.

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It's an international, huge event.

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And my mum always says,

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"Christmas doesn't start until it's Carols from King's College."

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But the red light goes on,

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and the finger come out.

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Dean Cleobury wanders up and down the row

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and then very calmly points to a boy

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who has to step forward.

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Whilst you're on air?

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Yeah, the red light goes on, and he chooses...

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No-one knows who it will be.

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The boy has to stand forward

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and fill this incredible space with a single solo voice.

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I feel sick!

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Can you imagine the nerves?

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In a way, I'm quite relieved my voice gave way before that,

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but what an incredible thing.

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It is magic when you hear it,

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just across the airwaves.

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HE SINGS

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We all took pride, without question, in trying to deliver

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the very best quality of music,

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and you're here in a place of worship.

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Ultimately, when all these things come together -

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the sculpture, the stained glass,

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the music, the worship, the reverence for the place,

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that's quite a powerful thing, especially if you're ten.

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THEY SING

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I come from a family of quite strong faith.

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Both my grandparents were vicars.

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My grandmother still is. She's probably watching, saying,

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"What do you mean 'were'? I'm still working!"

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Sorry, Grandma!

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Sorry, Grandma, yes.

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But it's an incredible experience and a real privilege

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to see and to be part of...

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I guess to "contribute" is the word I'm looking for.

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To contribute to other people's faith.

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Would you recommend being a choirboy...?

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Yeah, hands down, I would.

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It changes your whole life.

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And it's a huge, enormous change,

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but I have absolutely no regrets. I loved every minute.

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# Mater, ora Filium

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# Ut post hoc exilium

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# Nobis donet gaudium

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# Beatorum omnium

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# Fair maid, who is this bairn

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# That thou barest in thine arm?

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# Sire, it is a kinges son

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# That in heaven above doth wone

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# Man to father, he hath none

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# But himself, God alone!

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# Of a maid he would be born

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# To save mankind that was forlorn

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# Mater, ora Filium

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# Ut post hoc exilium

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# Nobis donet gaudium

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# Beatorum omnium

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# Mater, ora Filium

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# Ut post hoc exilium

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# Nobis donet gaudium

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# Beatorum omnium

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# Oh, oh, oh

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# Oh. #

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Bless, O Lord, us Thy servants

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Who minister in Thy temple

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Grant that what we sing with our lips

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We may believe in our hearts

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And what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives

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Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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# One voice

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# Singing in the darkness

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# All it takes is one voice

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# Singing so they hear what's on your mind

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# And when you look around

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# You'll find there's more than

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# One voice

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# Singing in the darkness

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# Joining with your one voice

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# Each and every note another octave

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# Hands are joined and fears unlocked

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# If only one voice

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# Would start it on its own

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# We need just one voice

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# Facing the unknown

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# And then that one voice

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# Would never be alone

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# It takes just one voice... #

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WORDLESS VERSION OF MAIN MELODY

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# One voice

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# One voice singing in the darkness

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# All it takes is one voice

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# Shout it out and let it ring

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# Just one voice

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# It takes that one voice

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# Then everyone will sing

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# One voice

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# Singing in the darkness

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# All it takes is one voice

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# Shout it out and let it ring

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# Just one voice

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# It takes that one voice

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# And every one

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# Will sing

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# We will sing! #

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Only Men Aloud there,

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performing a song that celebrates the joy of singing.

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Our final piece is a hymn I sang heartily as a choir boy

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in Bangor Cathedral, and you know, I still love singing it to this day.

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Next week, I will be asking why do we pray,

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hear about a national day of prayer at Wembley,

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and meet someone who has dedicated their whole life to prayer.

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Plus plenty of hymns and songs, old and new.

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Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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