An evening of music, prayer and meditations for Good Friday from Radio 2
Radio 2 recently recorded an evening of music, prayer and readings for Good Friday. Tickets were free through a ballot so on a damp evening in February a friend and I went along to Methodist Central Hall, hard by the Houses of Parliament. Arriving about 5.30, we found most people heading home so we had a chance to walk round the outside of this famous landmark without benefit of surging tourists and selfie sticks. It’s such a fine building and in the twilight gap between showers it looked beautiful.
We made our way through ancient courtyards to Methodist Central Hall, another impressive and imposing building. It was the first time I’d been to a radio recording for many years (the last time was a pop quiz in the 70s, I think). The music was provided by the BBC Concert Orchestra with a chorus drawn from a number of London choirs, with three soloists – Jermaine Jackman, winner of The Voice 2014, Louise Marshall and 12 year old Helena Paish, one of the BBC Radio 2 Young Choristers of the Year.
Readings were given by Patrick Robinson, star of Casualty and Strictly whilst prayer was led by The Revd Michaela Youngson. The evening was presented by Diane Louise Jordan, well known for her appearances in Songs of Praise. We assembled in the auditorium which was dominated by the beautiful cupola and where the acoustics were perfect.
The music programme was varied: traditional English, gospel, well-known hymns, with an underlying thread of connections to the Great War. Butterworth’s The Banks of Green Willow, a pastoral piece inspired by English folk songs, was rendered particularly poignant by the knowledge that he died in 1915 during the first battle of the Somme. The second half consisted of Sir John Rutter’s Requiem in which the pure tones of Helena Paish shone clear in the Pie Jesu. It was a thoughtful and moving evening.
At the end of it all, my friend and I felt happy to have been part of it and will look forward to hearing it all again when it is broadcast at 8pm on April 3rd, Good Friday, on Radio 2.
