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Today, we're remembering an historic day, 60 years ago, | 0:00:08 | 0:00:12 | |
when a young Princess Elizabeth arrived at Westminster Abbey. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:16 | |
As she walks down the aisle, the eyes of the world were upon her | 0:00:20 | 0:00:23 | |
as people crowded round television sets to watch the service. | 0:00:23 | 0:00:28 | |
Welcome to a very special edition of Songs Of Praise as we join the celebrations | 0:00:33 | 0:00:37 | |
to mark the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, | 0:00:37 | 0:00:41 | |
a reign of six decades and a lifetime of Christian faith. | 0:00:41 | 0:00:45 | |
This week, I'll be talking to the Bishop of London about Her Majesty's strong faith, | 0:00:49 | 0:00:53 | |
we catch up with a chorister who sang a solo at the historic service in Westminster Abbey, | 0:00:53 | 0:00:58 | |
and there is spectacular Coronation music from Canterbury Cathedral. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:02 | |
When the Queen was crowned, six decades ago, | 0:01:12 | 0:01:15 | |
she became not only the Head of State of the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms, | 0:01:15 | 0:01:19 | |
but also Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:24 | |
The ancient and magnificent building that is the mother church | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
of Anglicans worldwide is Canterbury Cathedral. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:36 | |
And tucked away in a quiet corner of the building | 0:01:39 | 0:01:41 | |
is the cathedral's own tribute to the Queen's Coronation. | 0:01:41 | 0:01:45 | |
The cathedral's had a high-profile this year | 0:01:47 | 0:01:50 | |
with the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, | 0:01:50 | 0:01:54 | |
enthroned here in March. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:56 | |
Let us greet our newly installed Archbishop with great gladness. | 0:01:56 | 0:01:59 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:01:59 | 0:02:02 | |
In Her Majesty's lifetime, there have been ten Archbishops of Canterbury, | 0:02:02 | 0:02:06 | |
and amazingly, she has now reigned over seven of them. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:09 | |
The cathedral's almost like two separate churches | 0:02:13 | 0:02:16 | |
with the nave here at one end and the quire - | 0:02:16 | 0:02:19 | |
Q-U-I-R-E - through that screen to the east. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:23 | |
And it's in the quire that we're having our musical celebration. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:26 | |
This is St Augustine's chair. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:33 | |
He was the first ever Archbishop of Canterbury some 14 centuries ago. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:38 | |
Today, it's surrounded by Songs Of Praise singers | 0:02:38 | 0:02:41 | |
from churches, choirs and schools around Canterbury. | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
In what we believe to be a first for Songs Of Praise, | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
they're going to sing two of the same spine-tingling pieces of music | 0:02:47 | 0:02:50 | |
that Her Majesty would have heard during her Coronation 60 years ago, | 0:02:50 | 0:02:55 | |
beginning with Hubert Parry's I Was Glad. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:57 | |
The Queen is no stranger to Canterbury Cathedral. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:28 | |
Her earliest recorded visit was with her parents | 0:08:28 | 0:08:31 | |
as a young Princess Elizabeth in 1946. | 0:08:31 | 0:08:33 | |
Cressida, thank you very much for letting us into the library here. | 0:08:37 | 0:08:40 | |
You've got some wonderful memories of the Queen's earlier visits to Canterbury? | 0:08:40 | 0:08:44 | |
Yes, indeed. Starting in 1946, which was her first visit to Canterbury. | 0:08:44 | 0:08:48 | |
-What was that for? -That was for the service of thanksgiving | 0:08:48 | 0:08:53 | |
for the preservation of the cathedral after World War II. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
In the cathedral itself, there is a painting commemorating the occasion as well. | 0:08:56 | 0:09:02 | |
-Tell us about that. -It shows the royal party leaving the quire area. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:07 | |
It's symbolic in a way, because you see, standing in the spotlight, | 0:09:07 | 0:09:10 | |
if you like, are the King and Queen. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:12 | |
And just behind them is the Princess Elizabeth. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:15 | |
Yes, she's walking very much behind her parents. | 0:09:15 | 0:09:18 | |
Just a few years later though, she was to become Queen herself. | 0:09:18 | 0:09:22 | |
And to mark that occasion, the cathedral has its own window. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:27 | |
Yes, we have a Coronation window which was unveiled in 1954 | 0:09:27 | 0:09:30 | |
which commemorates the Queen's Coronation, | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
but also the Coronation of her father, King George VI. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:37 | |
Why is it important for the cathedral here in Canterbury to have a royal connection? | 0:09:41 | 0:09:47 | |
The Queen is the head of the Church of England | 0:09:47 | 0:09:50 | |
and Canterbury Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:54 | |
So it's very important that there is a strong connection with the monarch. | 0:09:54 | 0:09:58 | |
The next major visit was the visit for the Royal Maundy in 1965. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:07 | |
It is a very ancient tradition, | 0:10:10 | 0:10:12 | |
but Queen Elizabeth has really made it her own. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:16 | |
She has attached great importance to the Royal Maundy during her reign. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:20 | |
The monarch travels throughout the country, | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
very much making contact with the people. | 0:10:27 | 0:10:30 | |
And she distributes the Maundy money which is an award. | 0:10:30 | 0:10:34 | |
-And the next one at Canterbury was when? -In 2002. | 0:10:34 | 0:10:37 | |
And you got a gift of your own that day, didn't you? | 0:10:39 | 0:10:42 | |
Well, not quite a gift! | 0:10:42 | 0:10:44 | |
At the end of the service, there was, on the table, left, | 0:10:44 | 0:10:47 | |
one of the Maundy posies. It didn't appear to have an owner. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:51 | |
I made a few enquiries and then it did seem entirely appropriate to take it home. | 0:10:51 | 0:10:56 | |
There are a number of members of the party at Royal Maundy who hold nosegays, | 0:10:56 | 0:11:02 | |
I'm not sure whose it was. | 0:11:02 | 0:11:04 | |
-Not the Queen's? -Certainly not the Queen's! | 0:11:04 | 0:11:07 | |
The Dean and Chapter intends to mark the recent Jubilee | 0:11:08 | 0:11:13 | |
with two statues for the west front of the cathedral. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:17 | |
So, a statue of the Queen and of Prince Philip. | 0:11:17 | 0:11:20 | |
At which time, there will presumably be another service of dedication? | 0:11:20 | 0:11:23 | |
-I'm very sure there will, yes. -And another royal visit? | 0:11:23 | 0:11:27 | |
That, I think, is yet to be confirmed. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
-But it would be lovely to have them here? -It would. Very definitely. | 0:11:30 | 0:11:34 | |
The Bishop of London is not only responsible for the Anglican churches in the capital city, | 0:13:49 | 0:13:53 | |
but also the royal chapels. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:55 | |
You'll know the royal family well | 0:13:57 | 0:13:59 | |
from your work as Dean of the Chapels Royal. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:02 | |
And, presumably, | 0:14:02 | 0:14:04 | |
the Queen is someone who is of deep spiritual faith. | 0:14:04 | 0:14:08 | |
I think that's become very publicly clear, | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
hasn't it, from her Christmas broadcasts? | 0:14:12 | 0:14:15 | |
Because they have been much more explicitly Christian, | 0:14:15 | 0:14:19 | |
and she has always had a very firm and deep faith. | 0:14:19 | 0:14:24 | |
I think that that actually corresponds | 0:14:24 | 0:14:28 | |
with a very great turn in the tide. | 0:14:28 | 0:14:32 | |
Because I remember... | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
Actually it was a director-general of the BBC | 0:14:35 | 0:14:38 | |
giving a lecture not so long ago, and saying that of course, | 0:14:38 | 0:14:42 | |
25 years ago, 30 years ago, | 0:14:42 | 0:14:44 | |
when the Queen was already 30 years on the throne, | 0:14:44 | 0:14:47 | |
everybody was convinced that the story of God would have only one ending. | 0:14:47 | 0:14:52 | |
And it would be relegation to the leisure sector. | 0:14:52 | 0:14:55 | |
It would be the harmless hobby of fairly eccentric people. | 0:14:55 | 0:15:00 | |
Well, nobody is saying that now. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:02 | |
So, the Queen has united all these periods, and very appropriately, | 0:15:02 | 0:15:09 | |
I think, for the present, for this contemporary age, | 0:15:09 | 0:15:13 | |
she is being much more explicit about her own faith. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:17 | |
60 years on, do you think, as a nation, | 0:15:17 | 0:15:22 | |
we treasure the concept of that Coronation as much as we should? | 0:15:22 | 0:15:28 | |
One of the most extraordinary things about monarchy in this country, | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
again and again, | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
the actual event is hugely uniting. | 0:15:35 | 0:15:40 | |
I think that was true of the Coronation, | 0:15:40 | 0:15:43 | |
although at that time, Britain was emerging from austerity. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:48 | |
I remember, I think I still had my own ration card. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:52 | |
In 1953, we still had ration cards then. | 0:15:52 | 0:15:55 | |
And it had been a rather drab, austere world as we recovered. | 0:15:55 | 0:16:01 | |
There were bomb sites everywhere in London. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:03 | |
So, I think the Coronation had a particular role there. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:07 | |
The reaction to the Queen when she goes on her visits | 0:16:10 | 0:16:15 | |
has always been beyond what people might expect. | 0:16:15 | 0:16:20 | |
And the number of people who talk about the lightest word, | 0:16:20 | 0:16:24 | |
which is why, of course, the Queen has to be very careful. | 0:16:24 | 0:16:27 | |
She knows very well. Because what she says is remembered for a lifetime. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:32 | |
-It's a big responsibility. -It's a huge responsibility | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
and, I think, unless you have gone through every day being engaged, | 0:16:35 | 0:16:43 | |
being interested, reaching out to people who may be in awe, | 0:16:43 | 0:16:47 | |
looks quite easy, but actually, it is an enormous responsibility. | 0:16:47 | 0:16:53 | |
And one which, I think, | 0:16:53 | 0:16:56 | |
if you're thinking about the PR profession, public relations. | 0:16:56 | 0:17:00 | |
They're all experts on how you keep yourself in the public eye for about 10 years. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:06 | |
Because after 10 years in the public eye, people are very tired of you. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:12 | |
The Queen, seems to me, is perhaps the only expert | 0:17:12 | 0:17:17 | |
on how you keep yourself in the public eye for more than 80 years, | 0:17:17 | 0:17:21 | |
and people want more. | 0:17:21 | 0:17:23 | |
The choir of Westminster Abbey played an important role in the Coronation service. | 0:20:08 | 0:20:12 | |
Not from the usual choir stalls here, but up there, | 0:20:12 | 0:20:17 | |
where they had a bird's-eye view of the unforgettable scene below. | 0:20:17 | 0:20:21 | |
We were in a specially created sort of box, if you like. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:29 | |
And we were on the front row. We always liked to be in the front row. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:32 | |
So we had as good a view as was possible to have. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
Albeit, clearly, you had to crane towards your right to really see | 0:20:35 | 0:20:39 | |
what was going on when Her Majesty was at the high altar, | 0:20:39 | 0:20:42 | |
because that wasn't readily in our vision. | 0:20:42 | 0:20:44 | |
And we also had to watch the beat from Dr McKie | 0:20:44 | 0:20:47 | |
to make sure we were doing what we were supposed to do. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:49 | |
But, at every opportunity, we were able to sort of lean around | 0:20:49 | 0:20:53 | |
and check it out, which was great. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:55 | |
And your memories in living colour. | 0:20:55 | 0:20:57 | |
Most of us just remember this rather wide shot | 0:20:57 | 0:21:01 | |
in grainy black-and-white, not great sound. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:04 | |
But, you, of course, had a box seat. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
My overriding memory really is... | 0:21:07 | 0:21:10 | |
It's perhaps a strange word to use, but it was the "glamour" of it. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:15 | |
It was the most extraordinary feeling of... | 0:21:15 | 0:21:19 | |
light and gold and ermine | 0:21:19 | 0:21:22 | |
and purple and red and diamonds and what have you. | 0:21:22 | 0:21:26 | |
An extraordinary feeling, a bit like a major Hollywood movie in a way. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:31 | |
That was the overriding feeling that I got. | 0:21:31 | 0:21:35 | |
And there were certain moments which were quite extraordinary. | 0:21:35 | 0:21:40 | |
I remember when the actual crown was placed on Her Majesty's head, | 0:21:40 | 0:21:44 | |
it seemed to be very, very slow before it actually got there. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:50 | |
And the yell from the boys of Westminster School shouting, "Vivat, Vivat, Regina!" | 0:21:50 | 0:21:55 | |
# Vivat, Regina Elizabetha! | 0:21:55 | 0:21:58 | |
# Vivat! # | 0:21:58 | 0:22:00 | |
I get goosebumps thinking about it. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:02 | |
I mean, that is a huge thrill, when you realise | 0:22:02 | 0:22:04 | |
that actually, you were in the presence of history. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
You must have been stuck up there for some time. | 0:22:07 | 0:22:09 | |
I think it was about six hours. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
And part of the fun for us was for the first time, | 0:22:12 | 0:22:16 | |
we were allowed to bring a packed lunch. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:20 | |
Were you eating during the service?! | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
Yes, absolutely. That was a no-go area, as you can imagine. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
That was not part of the discipline. | 0:22:27 | 0:22:29 | |
So, to be able to do that legitimately, | 0:22:29 | 0:22:31 | |
with permission, was great. | 0:22:31 | 0:22:33 | |
I was personally very lucky because William McKie, Dr McKie, | 0:22:33 | 0:22:38 | |
chose three boys to sing a solo in unison | 0:22:38 | 0:22:42 | |
for a specially commissioned anthem called O Taste And See. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
It was a huge honour, of course. | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
And I think Dr McKie hedged his bets because I think the event | 0:22:48 | 0:22:52 | |
was so huge that he thought, if one of us got nervous, | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
then at least the other two would come in. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:58 | |
I was the boy who got nervous. | 0:22:58 | 0:22:59 | |
SOLO CHOIR: "O Taste And See" | 0:22:59 | 0:23:02 | |
-I did come in slightly later, but full throttle once I got there. -I'm sure nobody noticed! | 0:23:09 | 0:23:15 | |
It was a magnificent ceremony all the way through, | 0:23:15 | 0:23:18 | |
but some moments would have stood out more than others. | 0:23:18 | 0:23:21 | |
For instance, when the Queen first entered the Abbey. | 0:23:21 | 0:23:25 | |
I Was glad... I mean, one of the most fantastic, exhilarating, | 0:23:25 | 0:23:30 | |
powerful pieces of music one would ever have the good fortune to sing. | 0:23:30 | 0:23:34 | |
And I loved that. It was great. | 0:23:34 | 0:23:37 | |
The last rehearsal, which I believe was when Her Majesty came. | 0:23:37 | 0:23:43 | |
She was wearing the Imperial Crown | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
and she processed from the Great West Door to the High Altar. | 0:23:45 | 0:23:49 | |
And she did ask the Duke of Norfolk to ask Dr McKie, the master of the choristers, | 0:23:49 | 0:23:55 | |
if we could sing a little quicker because the crown was heavy. | 0:23:55 | 0:24:00 | |
-I think I didn't make that up. -Happy days? | 0:24:00 | 0:24:04 | |
Very happy days indeed, yes. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:06 | |
I feel a huge sense of pride. | 0:24:06 | 0:24:08 | |
I'm a great royalist anyway | 0:24:08 | 0:24:11 | |
and I feel that, having been given this opportunity | 0:24:11 | 0:24:15 | |
and this God-given gift which I was given, | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
to have been a part of this extraordinary ceremony is truly great. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:25 | |
# The Lord's my shepherd | 0:24:30 | 0:24:33 | |
# I'll not want | 0:24:33 | 0:24:36 | |
# He makes me down to lie | 0:24:36 | 0:24:40 | |
# In pastures green | 0:24:40 | 0:24:43 | |
# He leadeth me | 0:24:43 | 0:24:45 | |
# The quiet waters by | 0:24:45 | 0:24:50 | |
# He leadeth me, He leadeth me | 0:24:50 | 0:24:55 | |
# The quiet waters by | 0:24:55 | 0:25:00 | |
# My soul He doth restore again | 0:25:00 | 0:25:05 | |
# And me to walk doth make | 0:25:05 | 0:25:10 | |
# Within the paths of blessedness | 0:25:10 | 0:25:16 | |
# E'en for His own name's sake | 0:25:16 | 0:25:21 | |
# Within the paths of blessedness | 0:25:21 | 0:25:26 | |
# E'en for His own name's sake | 0:25:26 | 0:25:31 | |
# Yea, though I pass thro' shadowed vale | 0:25:31 | 0:25:37 | |
# Yet will I fear no ill | 0:25:37 | 0:25:42 | |
# For Thou art with me, and Thy rod | 0:25:42 | 0:25:47 | |
# And staff me comfort still | 0:25:47 | 0:25:52 | |
# Thy rod and staff me comfort still | 0:25:52 | 0:25:57 | |
# Me comfort still | 0:25:57 | 0:26:03 | |
# Goodness and mercy all my days | 0:26:03 | 0:26:08 | |
# Will surely follow me | 0:26:08 | 0:26:13 | |
# And in my Father's heart always | 0:26:13 | 0:26:18 | |
# My dwelling place shall be | 0:26:18 | 0:26:24 | |
# And in my Father's heart always | 0:26:24 | 0:26:30 | |
# My dwelling place shall be. # | 0:26:30 | 0:26:38 | |
It's time now to hear another sublime piece of choral music | 0:26:43 | 0:26:46 | |
based on the Old Testament words from the First Book Of Kings. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:50 | |
It's been sung at every coronation since that of George II. | 0:26:50 | 0:26:54 | |
And 60 years ago, Her Majesty would have heard this | 0:26:54 | 0:26:57 | |
at the very moment she became sovereign. | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
Our congregation are led by pupils from schools in Canterbury | 0:27:00 | 0:27:03 | |
in Handel's glorious anthem, Zadok The Priest. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:08 | |
God of time and eternity, | 0:32:46 | 0:32:48 | |
we give you thanks and praise that you have blessed this nation | 0:32:48 | 0:32:53 | |
with Elizabeth, our beloved Queen. | 0:32:53 | 0:32:55 | |
Grant her your gifts of love and joy and peace. | 0:32:57 | 0:33:02 | |
As she continues in faithful obedience, to you, her Lord and God, | 0:33:02 | 0:33:08 | |
and in devoted service to her lands and peoples, | 0:33:08 | 0:33:13 | |
and those of the Commonwealth. | 0:33:13 | 0:33:15 | |
Now, and all the days of her life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:20 | |
Amen. | 0:33:20 | 0:33:22 | |
On Tuesday, the Queen will be back here at Westminster Abbey | 0:33:26 | 0:33:30 | |
to attend a service to celebrate the 60th anniversary of her Coronation. | 0:33:30 | 0:33:33 | |
And, of course, we send our very best wishes and congratulations to Her Majesty. | 0:33:33 | 0:33:38 | |
Our final hymn perhaps sums up the Queen's lifetime | 0:33:38 | 0:33:41 | |
of Christian faith and dedication - Great Is Thy Faithfulness. | 0:33:41 | 0:33:46 | |
Next week, Pam Rhodes visits Leeds Central Library | 0:37:08 | 0:37:11 | |
and introduces a treasury of hymns | 0:37:11 | 0:37:13 | |
telling stories of every human experience and emotion, | 0:37:13 | 0:37:16 | |
sung by congregations from all over the country. | 0:37:16 | 0:37:19 | |
And there are performances from Willard White | 0:37:21 | 0:37:24 | |
and Russell Watson. | 0:37:24 | 0:37:26 | |
Before we go, I'm pleased to announce details of this year's Big Sing | 0:37:30 | 0:37:34 | |
at The Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, September 8th. | 0:37:34 | 0:37:36 | |
And as we're going to be singing the UK's top 10 hymns and carols, | 0:37:36 | 0:37:40 | |
it's going to be a pretty special occasion. | 0:37:40 | 0:37:42 | |
Here is the phone number for you to purchase tickets. | 0:37:42 | 0:37:45 | |
The only number to call is... | 0:37:46 | 0:37:49 | |
Calls cost up to 5p a minute from most landlines | 0:37:57 | 0:37:59 | |
and an additional connection fee may also apply. | 0:37:59 | 0:38:02 | |
Calls from mobiles may cost considerably more. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:05 | |
You'll find the telephone number and more information | 0:38:05 | 0:38:07 | |
on the Songs Of Praise website... | 0:38:07 | 0:38:10 | |
The Big Sing is always popular, so you'll have to be quick. | 0:38:16 | 0:38:19 | |
If you're going to be there, I look forward to seeing you. | 0:38:19 | 0:38:21 | |
If you can't make it, | 0:38:21 | 0:38:23 | |
you'll have a front-row seat by staying just where you are. | 0:38:23 | 0:38:26 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:38:37 | 0:38:41 |