Songs of Praise - Season 8 / Year 2022

The Rev Kate Bottley joins runners and dancers to explore connections between faith and fitness, and Paralympian Kadeena Cox speaks about relying on God through tragedy and triumph.

Sean Fletcher is in Liverpool to discover why baptism is so important to Christians and how Jesus's baptism is celebrated by different denominations at this time of year.

Aled Jones is in Bristol visiting Brunel's ship SS Great Britain and the city's Christian street art, and Gemma Hunt joins HM Coastguard's first ever chaplain on a mud rescue.

The Rev Kate Bottley meets Christians who have experienced how the power of the Bible can change lives, and Gemma Hunt visits a Messy Church.

Mark De-Lisser hosts the semi-final of the Gospel Singer of the Year competition. Who will amaze the judges, Mica Paris, Carrie Grant and CalledOut Music, and make it to the final?

It's the final of the Gospel Singer of the Year competition, hosted by Mark De-Lisser, with judges Carrie Grant, CalledOut Music and Mica Paris.

Katherine Jenkins meets Christians showing love and kindness to others, and we remember archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Claire McCollum goes on a Christian heritage tour of Edinburgh and discovers the faith of Scottish sporting hero Eric Liddell. With hymns and songs from across Scotland.

Katherine Jenkins visits St David's College, where higher education began in Wales, and James Lusted hears why some people wear a leek rather than a daffodil on St David's Day.

Claire McCollum visits Sunderland to discover how the city's Christian links to the glassmaking industry stretch back over 1,300 years.

The Rev Kate Bottley meets the monks at Mount St Bernard's Abbey and samples their renowned Trappist beer. YolanDa Brown visits the world's oldest bell foundry.

In Birmingham, Katherine Jenkins joins members of the lively and growing young congregation at Gas Street Church. Its lead pastors, Tim and Rachel Hughes, describe their journey of faith and trust in God, leaving London with their family to start the new church in 2015.

Laura Wright meets Christian sisters Eman and Sanchia, who were born as conjoined twins. They survived an operation to separate them and are now thriving 20-year-olds.

In Birmingham's famous Jewellery Quarter, Norma Jean Murrain explains how her deep faith led her to start a jewellery-making training school for young people. And members of Gas Street Church's congregation tell Katherine how they have seen God at work in their own journeys of faith.

Hymns and songs from Gas Street and the wider Birmingham area reflect the Christian call to deeper faith and trust in God, including: Love Won't Stop, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, The Lord's My Shepherd, By the Grace of God, Take My Life and Let It Be, Spirit Break Out and Ten Thousand Reasons.

The Rev Kate Bottley is in Derbyshire, celebrating Mothering Sunday with mums from across the generations. She joins a baby massage class run by Nicky Daubney and hears about the role faith and human touch played in helping one baby recover from sepsis. We visit Woodleigh Christian Care Home in nearby Mansfield and share in a daughter's joy as she hugs her 92-year-old mum for the first time in months. Laura Wright meets Pip Peacock who, back in 2019, prayed for help when she nearly died after being trampled by a herd of cows whilst out walking in the Peak District, and we meet Katherine and Hannah, a mother and daughter who help to run the youth group at Reach Church in Derby. There's also new music from Reach including the family favourite My Lighthouse, and the young choir Perfect Pitch perform The Lord Bless You and Keep You at the stunning Derbyshire stately home, Chatsworth House.

The Rev Kate Bottley is in Hereford to discover how faith has been put into practice by local Christians past and present. She visits Hereford Cathedral, a site of worship for over 1,300 years, to find out how the cathedral staff have recently played a leading role in improving the experience for visitors with sensory issues. She also joins some local children on the cathedral's unique Sensory Trail.

JB Gill hears about a project that teaches invaluable first aid skills to young people, and he volunteers to help those who find themselves in need during a night out in Hereford. And we hear from a local cheesemaker about the role her relationship with God plays in her life and work.

Katherine Jenkins visits Winchester to see how they are marking Palm Sunday. She discovers what happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem and learns about the annual Palm Sunday parade that takes place in Winchester, ending at the cathedral. She also visits the local hospice, which is now the permanent home of a former Chelsea Flower Show garden based on Psalm 23.

JB Gill spends a night out with the city's street pastors, who offer help and prayers to the vulnerable, and we meet a former inmate from HMP Winchester who is now a spoken word performer, with God at the heart of his work. With hymns from Winchester cathedral including Palm Sunday classics Ride On, Ride On in Majesty and All Glory, Laud and Honour, plus a special performance of The Truth by Alexandra Burke.

Sean Fletcher follows in the footsteps of saints and pilgrims to celebrate Easter on the holy island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland.

Sean joins the Northern Cross pilgrims who have been walking to Holy Island every Easter for nearly 50 years. With the tide safely out, the group sets off barefoot for the final three miles across the sands. Once on the island, Sean discovers its extraordinary Christian history, which stretches back 1,400 years, and learns about the Lindisfarne Gospels – an exquisite work of art and dedication to God produced on Holy Island in the 8th century. He also reflects on the meaning of Easter with a group from inner city Birmingham who come to Holy Island as part of their leadership programme.

With hymns and songs to celebrate Easter from across the UK.

Katherine Jenkins visits Paisley Abbey in Scotland, where she meets their newly appointed female minister, the Rev Elspeth McKay, and the director of music, George McPhee, who demonstrates the magnificent 150-year-old organ. Russell Macmillan, who is registered blind, explains why he helps those in need in East Renfrewshire with small acts of kindness that make a big difference. Local Christian Liz New tells Katherine why she felt compelled to help those in Ukraine, and we find out what other Christian charities are doing to help. YolanDa Brown meets John and Isobel Gibson, whose faith helped them cope when their son Cameron tragically took his own life.

With comforting and uplifting music from around Scotland, including the hymns Praise My Soul the King of Heaven and All My Hope on God Is Founded, and a performance of What a Friend We Have in Jesus by the band Celtic Worship.

Aled Jones visits Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, the largest monastic ruins in the UK, to investigate its hidden treasures, including some remarkable new evidence about the community of monks and lay brothers who lived there. Fountains Abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Aled hears from Justin Scully, the general manager, about how his faith influences his management of such an important historical site and the staff and volunteers who work there.

Locally based singer-songwriter Phillipa Hanna tells Aled about how having a baby encouraged her to examine questions of her identity and relationship with God. We also meet a local farmer who has turned over her land to llama trekking and hear how her work with these unique animals allows her to put her faith into action by helping others.

Claire McCollum joins thousands of Christians in Minehead, Somerset, for ‘Spring Harvest', the annual festival that combines a holiday with worship, music and fun for all ages.

For over 40 years ‘Spring Harvest' has attracted Christians from many different denominations to gather at holiday camps to renew, discuss and celebrate their faith. Claire meets three generations of one family who have been coming to Spring Harvest since the early days and joins them for the energetic all-age worship services. She goes ‘backstage' with some of the main worship leaders and preachers and discovers more about the purpose and power of bringing so many Christians together.

Claire also discovers how worship is being made more accessible in innovative ways at a creative worship session for adults with learning disabilities. She also enjoys a game of ten pin bowling with young leaders to hear how Spring Harvest inspires faith and friendship in teenagers.

With inspiring worship music from the Spring Harvest main stage and a congregation of 2000 people raising the roof in praise.

To mark National Children's Day, Aled Jones visits Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to hear stories of faith and hope. In the Victorian splendour of the hospital's St Christopher's chapel, Aled meets the chaplain to find out how her role differs from chaplaincy in other hospitals, given the patients are all children. He also meets Caitlan, a 16-year-old heart transplant recipient whose road to recovery involved spending 262 days at the hospital.

JB Gill joins a 22-mile walk from Kent to Great Ormond Street to raise awareness of a child who lost her life to a rare disease, and we find out about Mary Seacole, the Jamaican nurse who ended up on the front line of the Crimean War. Our hymn selection contains children's classics including Morning Has Broken and We Are Marching.

Celebrating 1,900 years since the building of Hadrian's Wall, the Rev Kate Bottley visits Northumberland to unearth evidence of early Christianity at the nearby Roman settlement of Vindolanda. Mark De Lisser meets members of the Manchester Survivor's Choir, five years on from the Manchester Arena Bombing, and Kate gets to experience the peace and reflection that comes from birdwatching on Northumberland's beautiful east coast. With hymns from St Andrew's Church in Corbridge.

Sean Fletcher is in the stunning setting of Snowdonia, an area celebrating 70 years since its designation as a National Park, to discover how faith has been put into practice by local Christians past and present. He visits the 5th-century coastal church of St Tanwg to hear about the roots of Christianity in Snowdonia and discovers how the arrival of Celtic missionaries in north Wales in the 5th and 6th centuries led to an era of Christian influence that became known as the Age of Saints.

James Lusted visits the Ffestiniog Railway, the oldest independent railway company in the world, to hear about the role the railway has played in the life and slate-mining history of the local community. We also discover the story of an iconic hotel that stands in the shadow of Mount Snowdon and has been pivotal in the history of mountaineering, most significantly in relation to the successful British expedition to be the first in the world to climb Mount Everest in 1953, led by Sir Edmund Hillary. And Sean meets a volunteer with a local conservation charity devoted to balancing the demands of tourism in the Snowdonia National Park.

Aled Jones and Pam Rhodes celebrate HM the Queen's platinum jubilee at a street party in Eton, looking across the Thames to Windsor Castle. With local people and special guests, they reflect on the Queen's remarkable reign and the strong Christian faith that has been the foundation of her life.

Historian Kate Williams takes questions about the Queen from local school children before joining Aled in St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. There she explores what has made the Queen's reign so exceptional and sets out how Christianity is such a key element of her role and her life.

Back at the street party, local people recall treasured memories of meeting the Queen in and around Windsor, firefighters and military veterans reflect on Her Majesty's life of service, and authors Mark Greene and Catherine Butcher share insights from their books about the Queen's faith.

With hymns for the occasion recorded at the magnificent chapel of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and special performances from Katherine Jenkins and Kingdom Choir.

To mark its sixtieth anniversary, the Rev Kate Bottley visits Guildford Cathedral to hear stories of faith and hope. She learns how construction was abandoned during the Second World War, but 200,000 people paid half a crown each in a Buy a Brick campaign to get the building finished. Kate also learns that women played key roles in the design of the building and are celebrated in much of the imagery and sculpture.

Katie Piper meets Elizabeth and Fernando Jimenez to hear the extraordinary story of how they forgave the man who killed their daughter through dangerous driving, and took him into their home. Back at the cathedral, the dean takes her to the vaults, where great-grandmother Sally Courtney launders all the cathedral surplices as a service to God. We visit the Seed Community at Waverley Abbey, where a new prayer garden designed and built by the community offers reflection and solace, and we have glorious hymns sung in the cathedral including Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us.

Aled Jones celebrates Father's Day in Watford and hears about MFF or Music, Football, Fatherhood, an organisation helping fathers and fathers-to-be navigate some of the challenges and anxieties around becoming a dad.

Aled meets its founder, Elliot Rae, to hear how a traumatic experience during the birth of his daughter encouraged him to set up MFF. Aled and Elliot attend an event where fathers are encouraged to open up about their experiences and learn new skills.

Meanwhile, a single father talks about about how his faith influences and helps with his role as a parent to six adopted children with additional and complex needs. And JB Gill visits a Nottingham-based community project using sports training to empower young people to keep away from gangs and antisocial behaviour.

Claire McCollum visits the Baptist Assembly in Bournemouth to find out more about the 400-year-old Christian denomination. She meets Lynn Green, the general secretary of Baptists Together, who explains how the Baptist denomination first came about and what they do today. She also meets Fiona Firestone, who suffered a debilitating stroke, but whose recovery was helped by her Baptist family. Gemma Hunt helps to create some sacred art, and we meet a Ukrainian family who have fled their homeland, swapping the city streets of Apostolove for the valleys of Wales after being offered a new home by a British Christian family. Plus, we have music including Love Divine, The Lion and the Lamb, and Way Maker.

The Rev Kate Bottley visits Leeds Cathedral and joins the ranks of its junior choir. She speaks to the children about the faith, fun and friendship that inspire thousands of children to sing in the cathedral choirs and in choral groups across Yorkshire.

In nearby Bradford, Radzi Chinyanganya tries culinary creations from around the world at a Christian café helping refugees, and he visits a Leeds youth club experiencing Bible stories through virtual reality.

Back in Leeds Cathedral, Kate meets some of its unique, international congregation, and in the Lady Chapel she reflects with the Dean on the profound place Mary the mother of Jesus holds in the Catholic tradition.

With hymns from Leeds Cathedral and across the UK.

Claire McCollum joins Christians aboard a tour boat on Loch Ness to find out about the fifth-century legend of Saint Columba's encounter with the Loch Ness monster! Also, on the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, Claire heads to St Andrews for a round of golf with historian Roger McStravick. Claire hears about famous golf-course designer Tom Morris, a committed Christian who designed elements of St Andrews' Old Course using Biblical references such as Hell's Bunker and the Valley of Sin. And in Inverness, two priests from Nigeria tell their story of evangelisation in rural communities in Scotland by using the social media video platform TikTok to attract younger people to church.

Aled Jones is in Birmingham, host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to hear Christian stories around this international celebration of sport. He meets Andy Street, metro mayor of the West Midlands, to hear what hosting the games mean for the people of Birmingham, and he also discovers how the city's church community has been working with local schools on a project to highlight the stories and legacy of the Commonwealth Games. Aled meets former and current stars of UK athletics to hear why the Commonwealth Games are so important and how faith can help with the challenges of elite competition. And renowned conductor, composer and Songs of Praise music director Ken Burton tells us about a collaborative music venture with local a cappella quintet Black Voices and an 800-strong amateur choir to celebrate the arrival of the games in the city.

The Rev. Kate Bottley visits the Springfields Festival Gardens in Lincolnshire to discover the healing power of faith, flowers and trees and to explore the prominence plants have in the Bible. She meets a florist and author whose life has been changed by flowers and learns more about the long floral tradition of churches in Lincolnshire and around the UK.

Kate also looks back at some favourite features from the show, including the time when Aled Jones went to meet his old friend Alan Titchmarsh at Kew Gardens and when JB Gill heard about how becoming a tree surgeon helped one man overcome his struggles with addiction.

Featuring music from inspiring gardens and churches across the UK.

Katherine Jenkins meets creative Christians in Torbay and discovers the fascinating history of the ancient Torre Abbey. Abbey manager Lucinda Heron takes us through the building's rich history, and we meet head gardener Ali Marshall, who has been faithfully maintaining the beautiful grounds for 14 years.

Katherine also speaks to Martin Harris, leader of Christian drama company Unleashed, which helps support locals struggling with homelessness and addiction by teaching them to perform. The company's most recent, award-winning film project tells the story of how one of Torbay's churches became one of the UK's first to be open to people who could not afford to pay for pews.

Gemma Hunt meets Geoff Ward, aka Sandyman, who believes God helps him create amazing pictures in the sand, including one of the Songs of Praise logo. Tapestry artist Jacqui Parkinson demonstrates how she creates her splendid, silk-woven panels depicting stories from the Bible. Her most recent exhibition, Threads through Creation, is on its latest stop at Exeter Cathedral, and dean Jonathan Greener talks about what it means to host the installation.

Plus hymns sung outdoors in different locations around Britain's beautiful coastline.

Katherine Jenkins visits Capernwray Bible School and Christian Holiday Centre in the Lancashire village of Carnforth to meet people diving deeper into their faith, including one family of three generations who attend each year. After getting stuck in with some face and hand painting, Katherine meets students and staff from the school to learn about the history of Capernwray Hall, a stunning 175-acre estate purchased by evangelist W Ian Thomas in 1947 to create a place for young people to learn about Jesus. Katherine also recalls stories from previous episodes of the series in which the Bible has proved to be an inspiration, including in 2018 when JB Gill met a young man who decided not to take his own life after finding and reading a free Bible in a hotel room. Our hymns feature church congregations from across the UK, there's outdoor worship from Eastbourne Bandstand and Nettwood Farm in Bristol, and the BBC's Young Chorister of the Year Ruby sings in Guildford Cathedral.

Aled Jones joins a gang of intrepid walkers to celebrate the power of pilgrimage on the Wales Coast Path. Now in its tenth year, coast path officer Tricia Cottnam tells Aled about their collaboration with the National Churches Trust to create nine new walking trails at various sacred heritage sites along the route. Aled joins the walkers along a 14km stretch of the path, beginning at one of these sacred heritage sites, St Dogmaels Abbey. Along the way he speaks to walker and singer Suzi McGregor, who tells him how walking the Camino de Santiago inspired her to write a song.

Further north, at St Collen's Church in Llangollen, James Lusted meets Father Lee Taylor, whose weekly Hymns and Pimms livestreams during lockdown became so popular he continued them even after churches reopened. James joins the self-proclaimed ‘warblers' at their first in-person Hymns and Pimms gathering since doors closed and talks to those who found it to be a saving grace during such tough times.

Back on the coast path, our walkers are greeted at their destination, another sacred heritage site, Holy Cross Church at Mwnt. Aled is shown inside by church organist Auriol Williams, who explains the important role the church has played for pilgrims over the centuries.

The Rev Kate Bottley visits the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show, one of Britain's oldest, to reveal the Christian stories in this celebration of the countryside. She meets volunteers to hear about the show's history and what it represents for the faith and farming heritage of local communities. She gets hands-on with some prize-winning livestock and investigates the on-site church tent while enjoying the sights and sounds of an agricultural fair.

There's also another chance to see when JB Gill met the son of the renowned author of the All Creatures Great and Small books, and we revisit the time when Katie Piper met Christians offering hope and friendship to fellow farmers during tough times.

Sean Fletcher joins Christians gathering in Hertfordshire at High Leigh, a 19th Century Manor House, which for 100 years has welcomed churches from all denominations to worship together and celebrate Christian unity.

Sean uncovers the history of the estate, a grand and beautiful former family home transformed into a centre for all Christians to come together. After worship and study, Sean gets stuck into a football match with guests at High Leigh learning how Christians can use sport to bring people together in a fun way.

Pam Rhodes heads to Westminster to join faith leaders and politicians attending a special 'prayer breakfast' organised by the UK Coptic Orthodox Church to raise awareness for persecuted Christians all around the world.

And in Luton, ten trainee hospital chaplains are invited on an interfaith walking tour of the borough, visiting several places of worship with the Christian charity Grassroots to deepen their understanding of different faith traditions.

Aled Jones reflects on the extraordinary life and deep faith of Her Majesty the Queen.

Aled Jones and Pam Rhodes reflect on hymns and songs of significance during the life and reign of HM the Queen, including Praise My Soul, Lord for the Years and Great is Thy Faithfulness. With a special performance of Sing from the Royal Albert Hall, written to mark Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, and Our Father by the Kingdom Choir from the Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich.

To mark the harvest season, Aled Jones is in East Anglia to find out what the annual celebration means to local Christians and to talk about the importance of caring for creation. He finds out all about ‘wool churches' at Holy Trinity in Long Melford, and learns about the links between Christianity and agriculture.

Parishioner Sally McDonald tells Aled about the fundraising drive she pioneered to have the magnificent stained-glass windows in the church restored. Laura Wright talks to Christian farmer John Pawsey, who, after four generations of traditional farming, decided to make his family business organic; and Aled visits Christian-run nature reserve Foxearth Meadows to hear about the transformative power of God's creation.

In this time of celebration of feast and bounty, we also reflect on those who are struggling: Charlotte Webb tells her story of overcoming hardship and finding faith through Christian organisation Lightwave. Having come to Lightwave for help with food, Charlotte found trust and support and was able to build a relationship with Jesus, turning her life around for the better.

We have hymns and music from Holy Trinity Church in Long Melford, The Priory in Hertfordshire and Nettwood Farm in the Mendip Hills.

The Rev Kate Bottley explores Carlisle Cathedral as it celebrates its 900th anniversary. She discovers its monastic origins and joins visitors enjoying a specially commissioned art installation that invites people to 'rest under the stars' and take a closer look at the cathedral's unique star-spangled ceiling.

Kate visits the nearby village of Wigton to meet Rev Richard Corrie in his chip shop. Alongside helping to fry her own supper, she chats to Richard about how his three unusual jobs – working as a vicar, a radio DJ and chip shop owner – are all part of his ministry.

James Lusted joins young people climbing, walking and splashing their way through the great outdoors at the Kepplewray Centre in the Lake District. He learns about the centre's Christian ethos and how it makes adventures accessible for young people of all backgrounds and abilities.

With hymns from St Cuthbert's Carlisle and around the UK.

Sean Fletcher is in London to investigate how gospel music, with roots in the 19th-century hymnals of people of African-Caribbean descent, helps shape life and faith in the UK.

At the royal unveiling of a monument commemorating the Windrush generation at London's Waterloo Station, we meet a passenger who arrived here in 1948 onboard the famous ship. Sean experiences the sights, sounds and excitement of Soul at St James's, a monthly gospel singing workshop and choir performance with a mission to spread faith and joy. He also meets an internationally renowned blind steel-pan player to hear about the importance of the instrument to Trinidadian culture and the significance of his Christian faith.

With music from LSO St Luke's, Trinity Baptist Church in Croydon and Kensington Temple alongside a performance from Mica Paris.

For Christians in Manchester, there's plenty to celebrate this year as institutions across the city mark milestone moments in their history. Katherine Jenkins is at Manchester Cathedral to find out about a 600-year royal charter and to explore the building's long past and its place in the city.

In MediaCity, the Rev Kate Bottley meets Paul Kerensa, who has written a book about the BBC's 100 years of public broadcasting and tells the story of the corporation's first director general John Reith's spiritual inspiration and mission to produce faith programmes.

Kate also joins the bishop of Salford in his back garden to discuss the 60th anniversary of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and witness how their international work is being brought back to the diocese.

Music comes from Manchester Cathedral and the local area.

Sean Fletcher embarks on a personal journey across London and south Wales, reflecting on the people, places and music that have shaped his Christian faith.

He meets up with one of his oldest friends to talk about the time he first heard about Christianity as a teenager, and he traces his path from that early commitment, through times of doubt and rejection, to rediscovering his faith in his twenties. In south Wales, he visits one of the most influential figures for his family and his faith, his mother-in-law Nesta. And in London, with his friend the comedian Sally Philips, he discusses the importance of having the support of fellow Christians on life's journey.

With hymns chosen by Sean for what they have meant to him throughout his faith journey.

1. I Will Sing the Wondrous Story – Salisbury Cathedral
2. How Deep the Fathers Love For Us – Holy Trinity Church, Platt
3. Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer – St Davids Cathedral
4. Jesus Christ, I Think Upon Your Sacrifice – The Albert Hall, Nottingham
5. All I Once Held Dear – Kendal Parish Church
6. Cornerstone – The Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes

Katherine Jenkins is in the Kingdom of Fife, where she visits the 11th-century Dunfermline Abbey and hears the story of its royal founder, Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Sean Fletcher meets former prime minister Gordon Brown to hear about the Big Hoose Project, a local social enterprise that has seen millions of pounds' worth of donated household goods distributed to children and families living in poverty across Fife.

We meet local resident Karen, diagnosed with early onset dementia, and her husband George to find out how their Christian faith influences living with a dementia diagnosis, and the hope they find in believing that ‘God is in control'. And Katherine meets teachers and children from Dunfermline High School to hear about an art and audio-visual project they're undertaking in the abbey as part of its 950th anniversary celebrations.

With hymns from across Scotland, including Will You Come and Follow Me, Take This Moment, Sign and Space, and Spirit of God.

Remembrance Sunday is a poignant occasion for Christians in the armed forces as they join in prayer on the national day of reflection to remember those who have lost their lives whilst serving their country. The Rev Kate Bottley is at His Majesty's Naval Base in Portsmouth to meet Christians working in the Royal Navy and to find out why their faith is so important at this time.

In Shrivenham, Pam Rhodes attends a service of prayer and remembrance for Christians from all three branches of the military, who are coming together in honour of the fallen.

With hymns of remembrance from around the country.

The Rev Kate Bottley celebrates the blessings animals bring to our lives as she takes part in a special pet service in the magnificent Worcester Cathedral. She meets members of the congregation of all shapes and sizes, from goats to cockroaches! She speaks to their accompanying humans about the profound love and support that pets can provide in good times and in bad, and why we should thank God for all of them – even the creepy crawlies and those with negative associations.

In a beautiful ancient church in Northamptonshire, Gemma Hunt discovers a growing new congregation – of bats! She joins local children on a bat walk and speaks to conservationists and church members about a new initiative helping to protect precious bats whilst also keeping churches open for worship.

With hymns and songs celebrating animals and creation from around the UK.

Aled Jones presents the boys' semi-final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from Gorton Monastery in Manchester, with judges Katherine Jenkins, Howard Goodall and David Grant. Five of the best young choristers in the country sing a sacred song, and their choices include How Beautiful Are the Feet from Handel's Messiah, Pie Jesu by Fauré, Lorenc's Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus by Franck and the popular hymn set to Holst's stirring music, I Vow To Thee, My Country.

Three of the five boys will be selected to sing in the final on 11 December.

Aled Jones hosts the girl's semi-final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from Gorton Monastery in Manchester, with judges Katherine Jenkins, Howard Goodall and David Grant. The music featured includes the Bach/Gounod setting of Ave Maria and the hymn There's a Wideness in God's Mercy, and three of the girls have chosen music by contemporary composers - Love Divine by Goodall, Be Thou My Vision by Chilcott and Rutter's Gaelic Blessing.

Three of the five girls will be selected to sing in the final on 11 December.

It's the final of BBC Young Chorister of the Year from The Monastery in Manchester, presented by Aled Jones and Rev Kate Bottley.

As it's the third sunday of Advent, six of the best girl and boy choristers in the UK perform a Christmas carol or song for judges Katherine Jenkins, Howard Goodall and David Grant before one is crowned the 2022 winner.

The programme includes a performance of the carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel from the winning chorister, Aled Jones and all ten semi-finalists.

A week before Christmas Day, Claire McCollum visits a very festive Hever Castle in Kent. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ, and Claire shares the joy and excitement of the season with the local community. She hears about the history of Anne Boleyn's childhood spent at the castle, then joins the local school for their annual Christingle service. Radzi Chinyanganya is at the Black Culture Christmas Market in Brixton to hear about the diverse decorations on display and the importance of inclusion for all.

Aled Jones presents a Christmas Day edition of Songs of Praise from Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. The Cathedral Choir leads the singing and performs In The Bleak Mid-Winter. Songs of Praise Gospel Singer of the Year Patrice Campbell sings Mary, Did You Know. And Aled teams up with Russell Watson to sing Mistletoe and Wine. Plus favourite carols, accompanied by the Songs of Praise Orchestra.