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Jonathan Thomas talks to a range of musicians as he explores the stories and the wonderful associations behind some of our favourite Christmas carols.
Andrew Gant, a former choirmaster at the Chapel Royal, is the author of 'Deck the Hall' exploring some of curious histories of certain songs. Caroline Sheen from Caerleon is a much loved star of musical theatre on the West End stage, and she recalls happy memories of singing the descant to O Come All Ye Faithful when a member of her school choir. The Welsh plygain tradition of carol singing may possibly predate most English-language carols. Arfon Gwilym and Sioned Webb recount how they first attended a plygain service and were bowled over by the wealth of carols they heard for the first time. Harpist Tom Parry recalls his time living and working near Bethlehem, whilst composer Ben Heneghan (whose credits include Fireman Sam!) talks about his carol arrangements. Finally, Rhian Jackson from Corwen recalls the snowy sixties in her village, where her father was vicar.
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Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, and that usually involves carols, nativities, candlelight services and plenty of tradition. But not everyone is following these well-worn paths this year. Many are exploring creative ways of spreading the Christmas message. In this programme we’ll meet Christians and churches who are trying to do something a little different this advent. First up we meet Dai Woolridge, spoken word poet, storyteller, and creative specialist at the Bible Society. We also speak to American author, singer, and songwriter, Andrew Peterson, who is bringing his Christmas Show to Cardiff. Finally, we visit two different churches in Cardiff, who are looking at new ways to take the old Christmas story to their communities: Judith Holliman and the members of Radyr Methodist Church, and Sarah Roberts from the Bridge Church, Pontprennau.
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With the coldest season of the year upon us, Azim Ahmed hears how faith groups across Wales are helping homeless people through the hardest winter months. It’s estimated that nearly 3000 people each year sleep rough in Wales, but being homeless also includes people who are living in temporary hostels or night shelters, or lodging temporarily with family or friends. Nearly 10, 000 households in Wales are classified as at risk of being pushed into homelessness due to poverty and insecure housing.
Across Wales people of faith do what they can to alleviate the hardship of living without a home, and today we’ll meet some of these individuals and hear about the personal efforts they make. We begin at the Victoria Fish Bar in North Cardiff where one Muslim family, Mohammad and Jawad Nazakat, head up an initiative to give out free fish and chips to the homeless each Christmas. In Wrexham Housing Justice Cymru’s Citadel project helps foster community for the people they support over the Christmas period. They work in collaboration with Hope Street Church, who gather together volunteers to pack ‘Bags of Kindness’ for those in need at Christmas. It’s part of a national initiative, ‘Love Christmas’ encouraging organisations to spread kindness during the festive period. We visit the Hare Krishna ‘Atma Café’ in central Cardiff which gives out free vegan food to those in need. We hear from Father Dean Atkins and Salvation Army chaplain John Stark who have organised a memorial service at St. Mary’s Butetown to remember those who have died homeless. The service is accompanied by the ‘Choir with No Name’, a choir which builds joyful singing communities with people impacted by homelessness and marginalisation.
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Advent is a time of reflection and of waiting in expectation. Roy Jenkins talks to four people with very different experiences of waiting. They include Timothy Cho, one of very few people to successfully escape from North Korea, although not before experiencing some terrifying times in a North Korean and a Chinese prison. Tanya Marlow is a bedbound mother and writer who has had to think deeply about waiting, having suffered from a chronic health condition (ME) for many years since her teens. Retired solicitor and vicar Lindsay Ford talks about the vision he received in a Caerphilly church whilst he was going through a long period of waiting. And children's charity worker Neil Davies talks about the plight of the children whom few people wish to foster or adopt, and who may wait up to two years for their forever home.
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As part of the BBC “Be Scam Safe” campaign, Rosa Hunt and guests examine the impact the growing scale of scams has on the way we see the world around us. A recent survey by the Good Faith Partnership and the University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre found that honesty is the most important virtue for all religious groups, yet on a daily basis we are encouraged to be suspicious that the text messages, phone calls or emails we receive could be fraudulent. It’s estimated that in the UK ten billion pounds each year are stolen by fraudsters. But what impact does learning to be distrustful have on us? Are people of faith more susceptible to being scammed?
Rosa is joined by three guests: Professor Keith Jones leads the national research into financial fraud and scams with the Trading Standards Institute and their National Scams Team. He’s a Christian, has a background in social work and specialises in the safeguarding vulnerable adults. Katharine Gray is the founder and director of Friends First, a Christian dating agency, and she shares insights into how to prevent romance fraud. Phil Swann explores the theology around honesty and trust. Phil is the pastoral director of the Evangelical Movement of Wales and the pastor of Llanelli Free Evangelical Church.
We hear from Trading Standards officer Sarah Thomas-Grant who shares the current scams identified in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Steve Bumford, a Safeguarding officer in the Major Investigations Team in the Vale of Glamorgan, offers insights into a case of romance fraud. Reverend Mae Christie shares her personal experience of con artists stealing £138, 000 from her church in South London.
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Roy Jenkins reflects further on his broadcast career, and recounts some memorable moments in such diverse places as Russia, South America, South Africa, Hong Kong and Israel.
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The first of two special editions of All Things Considered to mark Roy Jenkins' 50 years in religious broadcasting. Across his career, Roy has been involved in a vast number and variety of programmes. Today, he looks back on just a few which have made some kind of mark on him. We hear archive footage from across Roy's career, as well as the stories behind some of these memorable programme-making experiences.
Join us again next week, when Roy will reflect on some of the fascinating encounters had had making radio in other countries.
This programme was first broadcast in June 2024.
