The Great North Passion

Hello and welcome to the great north passion.

For months communities here in the North East have been preparing, like

others across the world, to tell the story of Good Friday. Today we're

coming together to recount Jesus' journey from condemnation to

crucifixion. Over the next hour this unique and live spectacle will trace

the steps he took over 2,000 years ago, finding out what they mean in

today's world. It is a powerful story which has

been told many times rather like this.

Good Friday is a time when Christians focus on the story which

forms the bedrock of their faith. There is no more apt than to tell

that story than here in the North East of England, a region recognised

as being the cradle of early Christianity in this country. 1,000

years ago, the Venerable Bede, a renowned early Christian historian

lived a mile away. It is also home to Saint Cuthbert, famed for his

unending kindness, whose final resting place is at the heart of

Durham Cathedral. We've created a cathedral sized

structure out of 60 shipping containers. Why? Well, because

shipping and trade with overseas is the life-blood of region and local

people are going to tell the Good Friday story by remembering the 12

Stations of the Cross. In Christian tradition each Station

tells an individual moment in Christ's journey to his death on the

first Good Friday. So why do we call it Good Friday? Well explain that

later. But first, to introduce the stations are the communities of the

North East and Alexandra Burke singing Amazing Grace.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

# I once was lost, but now am found. # Was blind, but now I see.

# 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.

# And grace my fears relieved. # How precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed. # When we've been there 10,000

years. # Bright shining as the sun.

# We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.

# Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

# I once was lost, but now am found. # Was blind, but now I see. #

APPLAUSE Wonderful Alexandra Burke and there

is more from her later. Each station of the cross has a distinct theme as

Jesus walked to his death, he was faced with exhaustion. Humiliation,

kindness and ultimately self sacrifice. The journey symbolises

the difficulties of all our lives, carrying meaning for everyone of all

faiths and none. 40 days ago, the start of Lent, communities across

the North East welcomed individual shipping containers each

representing a different station and theme.

Since then, they have been exploring what these themes mean to them

through working with artists to produce koopb contemporary pieces of

art and they have shared their personal experiences and stories. We

start at the first station of the cross where Jesus told Pontius

Pilate. He asked the question what, is truth?

How would the people who live and work in North Tyneside's Fish Quay

answer that question? All my life I have been contacted

with this area, Fish Quay. I like the friendship, most of all, the

characters. I am proud to be a part of it.

The truth is, when you are born in the North East, you end up being a

fisherman more or less. I have always known what the truth is. I am

a fisherman through and through, from three-year-old, that's a canny

life sentence! It is hard actually to describe What

Is Truth. It is being honest with yourself, is it? Being honest with

yourself? I would say it is being honest with

someone and being trustworthy. The trust is, life isn't always fair,

but always remember it is a good life and enjoy it!

Richard is working with a local community on Fish Quay to find out

what truth means to them today. Jesus talks about, you know, his

reason for being on earth, his word is the truth. Pontius Pilate asks

him What Is Truth? That truck me as -- struck me as quite a question,

quite a thing to answer. So, What Is Truth? That which is

fact and not opinion. Don't rush it. The communities truths are gathered

in the container. The dinosaur is in the bag!

I might share your chips! I asked me Mrs, I said, "What Is Truth?" I

looked on the internet as well because I want to know what the

truth means really. Faith is sort of bedrock of truth.

The finishing touch, a ship of truth is mounted on top of the container

at Fish Quay before it sails over the River Tyne.

# As I went down to the river to pray.

# Studying about that good old wa # The good Lord show me the way.

# O sisters let's go down. # Down to the river to pray.

# As I went down to the river to pray.

# Studying about that good old way. # And who shall wear the robe and

crown? # Good Lord show me the way.

# O brothers let's go down. # Let's go down, come on down.

# Come on brothers, let's go down. # Down to the river to pray.

# As I went down to the river to pray.

# Studying about that good old way. # And who shall wear the starry

crown? # Good Lord show me the way.

# O fathers let's go down. # Let's go down, come on down.

# O fathers let's go down. # Down to the river to pray.

# As I went down to the river to pray.

# Studying about that good old way. # And who shall wear the starry

crown? # Good Lord show me the way.

# O mothers let's go down. # Come on down, don't you want to go

down? # Come on mothers, let's go down.

# Down to the river to pray. # As I went down to the river to

pray. # Studying about that good old way.

# And who shall wear the starry crown?

# Good Lord show me the way. # Good Lord show me the way. #

APPLAUSE The wonderful David and Ross. Having

been condemned to death by Pontius Pilate, Jesus is given the Cross and

told to carry it to Calvary. It is has become the central symbol of the

Christian faith. As Jesus takes his first steps towards crucifixion, he

is weighed down by what will be the instrument of his death, it is the

burden and he must carry it alone. For the last 40 daysings the

community in -- days, the community in South Tyneside has been preparing

to tell this part of the Passion Story.

In our community we've got a hugely diverse set of people and it has

been really helpful to say to the young people in our school, "You

have got to remember that people are coming to school. They have maybe

had a bad experience at home. They have been maybe told bad news,

whether that's the death of a relative for a pet." That's young

people carrying a burden so welcome link that into the great north

passion and looking at looking at Christ's suffering and to

incorporate those qualities into dance has been a challenge, but a

real success for our young people. There is reference to say prison and

oppression and people have different struggles in every day lives.

You getting away from somewhere where you don't want to be. So

someone dragging you back from your future.

This modern dance piece has been created using movements of trying to

break free and being pulled back to reflect the theme of burden.

APPLAUSE. In Christian tradition, Jesus'

journey towards crucifixion is marked on Good Friday by processions

of witness. Today, in that tradition, The Great North Passion's

Witnesses are following the Good Friday story, by linking station to

station. Condemned, given his cross, they now reach the Third Station.

Here Jesus, weighed down by the sheer weight of the Cross, falls to

his knees. Surrounded by a heckling crowd, his exhaustion is compounded

by his being completely isolated. Abandoned, forsaken, alone. The

community around a church in Red House, Sunderland, named after Saint

Cuthbert, have been exploring the feelings of isolation and

exhaustion. Saint Cuthbert lived on Holy Island, home to Lindesfarne

Gospels. Saint Cuthbert sought answers to questions around his

faith, through prolonged times of solitude, as well as in serving

others in the community. I think it is a diverse community.

It is a really nice mix. A mixture of generations, people here are

friendly. I have found that the church members are supportive.

John's Gospel is my favourite Easter morning story it begins in the dark

with a woman crying for what she has lost. That really resonated with me.

The vicar of Saint Cuthbert's, Tracy Reynolds found herself asking

profound questions after her daughter was seriously injured in a

car accident. Where was God? Was he really there at all? Was she alone

in her suffering, abandoned? I was ex-housed. Going to hospital at

6.00am, not getting home until after midnight. It was a tiredness that

feels it is inside your bones. Like it will never go away, etched there

forever. I thought I don't know if I will get out of this. I had to keep

on going. Finally, coming to a point where I was able to recognise, if

this was the journey that Jesus had taken, and that he had felt the

things that I felt but still clung to his Father, then maybe I could

hold his hand. One of the ways that Tracy was able

to come to terms with the trauma of her daughter's accident was through

art and poetry. It is this that inspires Mohammed Ali's work on the

container. When I was introduced to Tracy from

the church, hearing her story and the poem, hearing how she felt and

the feelings of isolation, being alone it was really striking. There

were words like "anger", " tears", " pain." As a graffiti artist, with

the art and the words, I felt something no different than the

Lindesfarne Gospels. Just shapes, almost coming alive in front of you.

Isolation is one of the moments of the suffering of Jeffs. Reflected in

Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus, inspired by the passion Passion Story story

story. It is sung by The Great North Passion's Choir and the communities

of the North East. # Ave, ave verum corpus. # Natum de

Maria Virgine. # Vere passum, immolatum, # In cruce

pro homine, # Cujus latus perforatum.

# Esto nobis praegustatum, # In mortis examine, # In mortis examine.

APPLAUSE. The story reaches the Fourth Station

Of The Cross. Here the suffering of others is also recognised. Jesus'

mother, Mary, catches sight of her son. Vulnerable and weakened. She

knew she was watching her worse possible nightmare: The loss of her

child. That theme became the subject of a

moving project in the heart of Sunderland. I like living around

here it is a lovely community. You think you are alone sometimes but

you are not. You are never alone. I love Sunderland, and I'm proud to

live in Sunderland. Photographic artist, Julian Germain

is working with Julie Ray, who lost her son, Peter, in a tragic

accident. He was 13 years old. Julian is to use the container to

interpret the theme of a mother's grief.

He is to display film and photographs of Julie's son. .

This was my daughter's wedding day. He was smart as a carrot! I found it

very painful to be quite honest. Bringing lots of old photographs of

Peter. It was not forgotten about. This was all the different memories

coming flooding back. I got a telephone call to say that Pete fell

off a swing. I thought, I will get to the hospital and it will be a

couple of stitches or... Unfortunately, he had swelling on

the brain. They just couldn't save him.

You never think you are going to ever survive. You wonder how you get

up every day. But you do. You find the strength from somewhere. Through

our Peter's Trust Fund, I have met people who have been through a

mother's grief. When you have a little understanding of that raw

pain, what nobody would understand it, unless you have been through it.

I think sometimes you get frightened, will I forget this, will

forget that, will I forget his voice? Of course, you don't. I think

that the photographs bring that out. That is why you trough them.

Reflecting on the theme of love and loss is Alexandra Burke, with her

song, Where Do Hearts Go. # You gave me my wings to fly, baby

oh, way up high. # You, showed me that love could

bring anything, you. # Lifting my soul inside, to clear

blue skies. # You, listened to me to see all I

can be. # I'll let you know, I don't know

what your love means. # Are you near or far?

# I need to know, I don't want to waste one more hour,

# Wondering where you are. # And where do hearts go?

# Where do hearts go? # When the love goes.

# I see the light, # My wings will fly.

# I know my heart will breathe again.

# For you, one day. # Our love will smile again.

# I said you, brought joy and amazing things

# Gave everything. # Yeah, you

# You were the fountain side I could never hide from.

# You brought out the best in me, # For all to see.

# Yeah, you, made me believe in me, # You set me free.

# I'll let you know, I don't know what your love means.

# Are you near or far? # I need to know, don't want to

waste one more hour, # Wondering where you are.

# Where you are. # Where do hearts go?

# When the love goes. # Yes, I see the light.

# My wings will fly. # I know my heart will breathe

again, for you. # One day, our love will shine

again. #

APPLAUSE. Station Six of the cross cease Jesus

surrounded by a hostile, baying crowd. But as re-counted by some of

the earliest Christian communities, a woman called Veronica, against the

will of the mob, steps out and wipes Jesus' face it is a simple act but

it sums up a universal act, held equally by all faiths, that is

compassion and kindness. It is a theme fitting for the location.

Minutes from here, one of the first lifeboats was launched. It is an

example of how people risk their own lives to save others.

For peoples at the local South Shields School, it is a theme that

is part of their critic column in preparation for the Good Friday

story it is a unique poem on kindness, led by Kate Fox. I did

think we had to start with the re-enactment of Veronica wiping

Jesus' face. Three of them wanted to be a Roman

soldier. A boy wanted to be Veronica.

Being kind is like... Respecting others. Sharing your cake. If

kindness was something in South Shields... Ocean Road because it is

multi-cultural. The different types of food you can try.

They have got a boat. It is from a while ago and it has been

refurbished. Do you think we would be up for performing the poem?

ALL: Yes. We got together and got our energy going. What are we doing?

Great North Run. It feels like something is emerging. It is

something they actually want to talk about! Can your hands do anything

kind? To the sea and the seagulls. I think I'm kind of kind, but like

most of us, I'm somewhere in between the saintly giving of Mother Teresa

and the bumbling awkwardness of Mr Bean. Your haircut makes me cringe.

Your phone is so old! Hashtag Kindness of Strangers. See Twitter

and Galilee or head to Ocean Road, South Shields for a day out by the

sea! Fish and chips and curry, Indian, Chinese and Thai, anything

you want to eat is here for you to buy. Icecreams! Made by Minchellas

all the way from Italy. People came from all over the world to live here

and mostly, they get on. Thirteen flavours of us. The first lifeboat

ever designed was launched. Here saved a thousand from the Tyne saved

in turn by volunteers, who wiped away the years until it was bright

blue and white as the prom on a sunny day. The seagulls pinch your

pasty, nick your chips, sit on your head, a clucking army pecking bits

of bread. Haway! The fair. Dodgems, waltzers, a slide, a

rollercoaster, the party bus, Life is a journey so come with us, all

the way from the Tyne Bridge. The Great North Run! Drummers thump

heartbeats in time with the runners, photos of loved ones on their backs.

I had no breath, I was puce, my knees were weak, my lungs no use,

but the crowd gave me. Water! Jelly babies! The will to carry on! Give

someone a lift when they've broken down. But what if they're a

psychopath? Give someone a bunch of flowers. But what if they just

laugh? Help an old person up when they've fallen Over. But what if

you're not medically trained? Burly blokes on boats is just one kind of

brave. But stick your neck out for others. It's your own life you will

save. Your hair is lush. Let's give your car a push. You don't even need

make-up. Do you want a hand with that shopping? You smell of

strawberries. We will be your lifeboat and come to your rescue. We

will bring it back to you. So you can't forget. Treat others the way

you want to be tret. Treat others the way you want to be tret.

APPLAUSE Inned Good Friday story, that moment

of kindness shown by Veronica is only fleeting. Jesus succumbs to the

weight of the cross and falls yet again. It shows his human frailty

and the fragility of our lives. How anyone in difficult times can can

become fallen and forgotten and loose self esteem.

In Sunderland the local community came together to give a voice to

those who are coming to terms with these lowest of moments in their

lives. I think the opportunity has been for

people to express their own emotions, their own feelings. And to

be heard as well. Saint Andrew's connection with

Centre scapt point the UK's leading charity for homeless young people,

brought this young man to the Great Passion Project. The most difficult

time in my life was losing my mum. I felt depressed. I just felt like I

just want to go and I tried to kill myself. I don't feel like living, I

just want to go. Opera singer Graeme Danby and

composer, Will Todd are leading the St Andrew's project, they meet him

and begin to write and compose together a hymn about the fallen,

the theme of the seventh station of the cross.

Sometimes you might have no money, nothing, no friends to talk to.

Nobody to visit. Trust me, that moment you feel like this road

doesn't belong to you. Let's get to the nitty-gritty. We can maybe help

a little bit where we can put some of your ideas on to paper. Is that a

deal? That's a deal. The congregation are introduced to the

project and their voices begin to feed into the mix. If we don't have

Good Friday, we have no hope at all, would you would never have Easter

Sunday. I had an awful childhood, but my whole life changed because I

was loved. Perhaps you have to hit rock bottom to move back up and that

doesn't necessarily mean it is a failure. At their final session, the

whole group gather together to put the finishing touches to the piece.

The trust that you give. Can you give us a tune for As A Child?

Perfect. It has been a wonderful experience. It has reinforced my

thought behind the fallen. We can't just have this element of bleakness,

of hopelessness, there has got to be an element of redemption.

Frail and alone I drown in sorrow # Will the tears of an outcast ever

be wiped away? # Can this madness never change?

# I am friendless and I am changed. High pressure High pressure so alone

the broken soul you tread upon. ??LINEBRE # I am searching for love.

# # I am searching for hope. # The hope that I lost.

# The hope that I felt at the start. # To make my life begin then.

# I am searching for hope. # And I am searching, I'm searching for that

love. # The love that I knew

# # I am searching, I am saerching for

that love. # I'm searching for that love.

# To take away the darkness from my heart.

# # To take away the darkness. # To take away the darkness from my

heart. #

APPLAUSE The wonderful Graeme Danby. Jesus

manages to get up again and he approaches Calvery and the Women of

Jerusalem are found weeping for him. Jesus says, "Don't weep for meWeep

for your children." In shared compassion is a central focus of

Christian faith. In Middlesborough, the city's

community of Women of African Origin have been celebrating what this idea

means to them. You have got some of them singers.

This man leads the group in composing a song based on their

experiences of kindness to strangers, both here and in Africa.

In Africa, it is about sharing and giving. Where I'm from, we never

called anybody a stranger. If ever two people would come and y hadn't

cooked enough, they should take your plate. We used to prepare a special

room to accept anybody who came in the night, who doesn't have a place

to sleep, so he can come to our house. Once somebody knocks on your

door, we are so welcoming, that's us Africans.

Let's start again. We need to really understand what kwako means?

# When a stranger comes knocking, knocking.

# Knocks at your door. # Seeking for help.

# In the moonless night. # As we do in Africa.

# We will offer shelter drink and food.

# What would you do when someone knocks seeking your help?

# Would you be kind to open your door?

# Can you be sure what to kwako? # Can you be sure what to kwako,

kwako? # Let's not take this life for

granted. # Let's not take this life for

granted. # Let's not take, let's not take

this life for granted. # APPLAUSE

Despite falling a third time, Jesus does reach the hill where he will be

crucified and here, he is stripped of his clothes, made naked and

vulnerable. Vulnerability comes in many forms and families have become

more vulnerable to the changing face of industry.

What is the 30th anniversary of the Miner's Strike, the communities in

the North East had to contend with the demise of their pits.

Before they are very little to live on.

This is a the story of Ashington. This was the biggest pit village in

the world. It is not here anymore. But it is in the Guinness Book of

Records! Yeah. Until 30 years ago, it was known as a mining town. Now,

that is history. This community once felt humiliated and stripped of its

being. It strips your dignity away,

completely. I have been a wage-earner, then to

bog on the dole... Your dignity takes a smack. But a lot of them

made work, it was the be all and the enall. When the pits closed, they

had nothing else to do. Some of them lost the will to live. It tears you

apart. The story of Ashington stands as

item to those who faced what seemed the end of their world. The artist,

Patrick Murphy, wants to know what Ashington is doing now. He carved a

table and asked the community to carve, chip, paint and imprint their

story. The key message within the

installation is bruised but not broken. It refers to the community

but it also refers to Christ' journey, that there are things that

we have to go through and having faith or Christianity, strengthens

you. They have brought back the old

tradition of clog dancing, to show that they will not forget what they

have come through. He we stand together... Here we

stand together... This clog dancing reflects the shoes

that the miners originally wore in the pits. The placards are carrying

the messages of hope from today's community.

Still here. Always together, always strong. Always together, always

strong. Still here! Still strong! Still here! Still strong! Always

strong. Always strong! Always strong! Station Eleven. Here, Jesus

is now placed on the Cross and nailed to it. For Christians the

words Jesus utters have become one of the most powerful and central

tenants of their faith. Forgive them Father, for they know not what they

do. The message of Forgiveness. And the hope of new beginnings. In the

railway arches in the shadow of Sage Gateshead, this theme has been the

focus for both artists and the local community, including Reverend Jim

Craig, the only full time arts chaplain in the country. I love the

idea of art popping up somewhere that is not an exclusive gallery

space but somewhere that people can appreciate it on the streets. If

seemed obvious to contact the lads it is right up their street.

The Station of the Cross, that we have been given for the project is

the crucifixion. And the theme we are exploring is the theme of

forgiveness. Sandy is running a project using

music and art to develop confidence and encourage ways of learning.

We have been fortunate with the theme, in as much it resonates with

the young people in terms of their lives and how they are ah moving

forward it has been a good one to get our teeth into, really. If you

don't forgive, there will be always hate. If someone does you wrong if

you don't see past the wrong they have done you, that is what hate

develops. For Frank, one of the art support

workers, the theme has a particular resonance.

The idea of forgiveness being part of the graffiti journey, often the

route into spray-painting is one that involves being outside of the

law. Part of the forgiveness of what I

have done wrong, vandalising and upsetting people's lives, I am now

making amends by helping people. There have been stories, where the

kids I am working with have started to paint graffiti letters which has

led to other types of art and gone to college and gained something

positive from the whole experience. It does work.

Finally, at the Twelfh Station, Jesus is raised on the cross and

there he dies. He oleateers the words, Father, into your hands I

commit my spirit. It raises a theme which none of us can avoid: the end

of life. At Souter Lighthouse, an iconic reminder of the North East's

connection to the wider world but also of a very particular loss, the

sea-front community in South Shields came together to explore the twelfth

Station of the Cross. Going back to my childhood, one of the places we

used to visit was Marsden village. It was a community of happy, vibrant

people. That has all gone. The death of Marsden village had a

lasting effect on Derek and Brian. The homes here were Demme oilished

in the '60s. I cam up, people would shout to me,

morning but now there was silence. Deathly silence. That is when I

realised that was the final end. It was all gone.

Visual artist, Joseph Hillier, leads the men and younger members of the

community on a tour of local art galleries, to explore depictions of

death. If there was anything else but a

cross, it would be ordinary people getting on with their lives. That is

what happens after a loss, you get on with it. The loss hits you later

on. For Ray Wilson, the theme of death

brought back memories of his father. I was persuaded to see my father

after he had died. I would have much sooner not have had to.

The image does stay with you. Back at Souter, the group reenact

some of the paintings. And Joseph captures their poses to create a 3-D

model of the pieces he is to produce.

As we reflect on life's journey, full of rich experiences and

difficulties, we are full of hope. We're joined by Bella Hardy, for a

much-loved communal song, Abide With Me.

# Abide with me, fast falls the even tied.

# The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.

# When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

# Help of the helpless, abide with me.

# # I feel no foe with thee returned

to bless # Ills have no weight, and tears no

bitterness. # Where is death's sting?

# Where, grave, thy victory? # I triumph still,

# If thou abide with me. Hold thou thy cross, before my closing eyes,

# Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

# Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee.

# In life, in death, Lord, abide with me.

APPLAUSE. The people of the North East,

through their commitment, creativity and honesty in sharing their stories

and experiences, have come together today to show how the story of Good

Friday, while 2,000 years old, has a lasting relevance to all our lives

today. For Christians world-wide, the death of Jesus lays the

foundation of their faith. It's seen as a selfless act of self-sacrifice

with a purpose: to free all people from their sins and weaknesses,

making possible a new start. Captured in the powerful symbol of

the Good Friday Story, The Cross. It recognises the Christian belief that

God through Jesus gave everything out of love for humankind. And in

recognizing that, there is a form of triumph even in the darkest moments

of death. It's the reason why today is called Good Friday. And for

Christians, that triumph is fully realised on Easter Sunday when the

story of the Resurrection gives a cause for celebration.

# Your love keeps lifting me higher, # Than I've ever been lifted before.

# So keep it up, # Quench my desire.

# I'll be at your side forever more. # Once I was down hearted.

# Disappointment me was closest friend.

# Then you came and it soon departed.

# And you knew it never would show its face again.

# That's why your love, # Is lifting me higher.

# Lifting me higher and higher. # Your love, keeps lifting me higher

# Lifting me higher and higher. I said your love keeps lifting me

higher. # Than I've ever been lifted before.

# I said your love keeps lifting me higher.

# Than I've ever been lifted before. # I'm so glad, I finally found you.

# Yes, that one in a million girls. # And I wish my loving arms around

you, # Honey, I can stand up and face the

world. # I said your love keeps lifting me

high higher, # Oh, lifting me, higher and higher.

# Your love keeps lifting me higher, # Lifting me higher and higher.

# Your love keeps lifting me higher. # Lifting me higher, and higher.

# You love keeps lifting me higher. # Lifting me higher and high higher.