Programmes on BBC, RTÉ Television and Radio
Sunday 17th April – Palm Sunday
7.00am RTÉ Lyric FM Gloria.
Gloria – Tim Thurston introduces a selection of sacred music including Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Requiem and Victoria’s Responsories.
8.10am BBC Radio 4
Sunday Worship – A service from St Arvan’s, near Chepstow
11.00am. RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital platforms
Passion of Jesus – a Holy Week Reflection from Saint Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny with Bishop Michael Burrows and the Dean of Ossory, the Very Revd Katherine Poulton. St. Canice’s Cathedral Choir directed by Malcolm Proud.
12 – 4pm, 5 -9 pm BBC Radio 4
Music for Holy Week – Live and pre-recorded concerts from around Europe, including Bach’s St John’s Passion from Amsterdam at 1.15 pm.
4pm BBC Radio 3
Choral Evensong – A repeat of last Wednesday’s broadcast from Derby Cathedral.
5.20pm BBC1
Songs of Praise – Hymns for Holy Week
5.35pm RTÉ One
In A Strange Land – Passover in Exile. As well as being a holy week for Christians, this week also sees the start of the 8-day Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach). In this short film, Rabbi Zalman Lent explains how it’s a time when he encourages Jews from overseas who are working in Ireland to come together in celebration of their faith and culture.
8.20 pm BBC Radio 2
Sunday Half-Hour – Fr Brian D’Arcy reflects on Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem
Monday 18 to Friday 23
11 pm BBC Radio 4
Belief – Joan Bakewell and guests
Weds 20th April
4pm BBC Radio 3 (no repeat)
Choral Evensong from Southwell Minster
Introit: O Saviour of the world (Ouseley), Responses: Ebdon Office, Hymn: Lord Jesus, think on me (Southwell, ) Psalm: 88 (Smart), First Lesson: Isaiah 63 vv1-9 , Canticles: Fauxburden Service (Whitlock), Second Lesson: Revelation 14 v18 – 15 v4, Anthem: Lo, the full, final sacrifice (Finzi), Final Hymn: My song is love unknown (Love unknown), Voluntary: Crucifixion (from the Symphonie-Passion) (Dupré)
8.45pm BBC Radio4
Lent talks – Rev Mark Oakley, Canon Treasurer of St Paul’s Cathedral
Thursday 21st April
7.48 am BBC Radio4
Thought for The Day – The Archbishop of Canterbury
10.45am BBC1
The Royal Maundy Service – at Westminster Abbey. Huw Edwards presents coverage
11.05pm RTÉ One
Passion In The Pale – In Lent, 2010, first-time filmmaker, Patrick Butler, followed the preparations for two very different artistic interpretations of the Easter story, on either side of the Liffey. In St Werburgh’s church, American director, Ruth Palileo, prepared to stage a Passion Play with a group of amateur actors – in the church and its graveyard and on the streets of central Dublin, culminating in a crucifixion inside the gates of Dublin Castle, on Good Friday. Meanwhile, across the river, Blanaid Murphy was rehearsing two choirs and the Orchestra of St Cecilia for a performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The film, which was shot, directed and edited by Butler, asks: what is it about this 2000 year old story, which continues to inspire and move so many people in so many different ways?
Friday 22nd April – Good Friday
10.00am RTÉ Lyric FM
Paul Herriott in Tempo includes Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in his musical selection.
1.45pm RTE Radio One. All wavelengths
Dying To Live – Aidan Mathews presents a scripted reflection, as a footnote to Good Friday.
2.00pm
RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital Platforms
Service for Good Friday – Rev Dr Godfrey Brown, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, with readings from scripture by his wife, Margaret Brown, and music from the Tullamore Gospel Choir, directed by Brendan Keeley.
7.00pm
Lyric FM
My Tunes – Aedín Gormley’s guest is the Dublin harpist, composer and Church of Ireland priest, Revd Anne-Marie O’Farrell, who is a graduate of UCD and who studied at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, University College Dublin and NUI, Maynooth. Her work comprises orchestral, sacred choral and chamber music, including an extensive harp repertoire. As a priest, she is attached to Sandford Church and St Philip’s, Milltown, both in Dublin.
8.00pm
Lyric FM
The Lyric Concert – features Bach’s Mass in B Minor, recorded at the NCH, Dublin, featuring Malin Christenssen, Alison Browner, Sean Clayton, Matthew Hargreaves and the RTÉ Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra.
Sunday 24th April – Easter Sunday
0700-0900 RTÉ Lyric FM. Gloria. Tim Thurston offers a selection of sacred music to celebrate Easter Sunday.
1050-1135 RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital Platforms. Morning Worship for Easter Day from Sydenham Methodist Church, East Belfast. The service is conducted by the Rev. Karen Spence with organist, George Yendall.
1130-1230 RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta. Aifreann an Lae ó Theach Pobail Mhuire sna Doirí Beaga. Is é an tAthair Pádraig Ó Baoill a bheidh ina cheiliúrai.
1135-1220 RTÉ One. Service for Easter Sunday. Patricia Shouri leads members of Teen Challenge, a drug rehab programme based in Tiglin, Co. Wicklow, in a service which celebrates their very real and personal experiences of resurrection.
BBC Radio 3 (no repeat)
Choral Evening Prayer from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.
Introit: Haec Dies (Byrd) Responses: Michael Walsh. Hymn: Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour (St Helen). Psalms: 110, 114 (Philip Duffy). New Testament Canticle: Revelation 19 vv1, 5-7. New Testament Reading: Hebrews 10 vv12-14. Anthem: Ecce vicit Leo (Philips). Gospel: John 20 vv19-23. Homily: The Rt Revd James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool. Magnificat in B flat for double choir (Stanford) . Marian Antiphon: Regina Coeli (Philips) . Organ Voluntary: Choral-Improvisation sur le Victimae Paschali (Tournemire)
Monday 25th April – Easter Monday
0740-0830 RTÉ One. The Private Life Of A Masterpiece – The Taking Of Christ.
1930-2030 RTE Radio One. All wavelengths. Were You There…? Joe Duffy talks to five people whose personal experiences may offer particular insights into some of the key figures in the Easter story.
Weds 27th April
Latin Choral Vespers from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Organ Prelude: Tiento de quinto tono (Anon Spanish 16th century). Psalms: Dixit Dominus, Confitebor tibi Domine, Beatus vir, Laudate pueri, Laudate Dominum (Victoria). Chapter Reading: 1 Corinthians 15 vv20-28 . Organ Interlude: Tiento sobre cum sancto spiritu (Cabezón) . Office Hymn: Ad caenam Agni providi (Victoria). Canticle: Magnificat octavi toni (Victoria) . Homily: The Revd Dr Peter Waddell . Marian Antiphon: Regina Coeli (Victoria). Organ Postlude: Obra de octavo tono, medio registro, mano izquierda (Anon Spanish 17th century)
Weds 4th May
BBC Radio 3 (rpt Sun 1st May)
Magdalen College, Oxford. Introit: O pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Richard Nicholson). Responses: Smith Office Hymn: Before the ending of the day (Te lucis ante terminum). Psalms: 22, 23 (Wesley, Smart, Goss) . First Lesson: Ezekiel 1 vv1-14. Canticles: The First Service (Weelkes) . Second Lesson: John 1 vv1-14 . Anthems: Praise the Lord, O my soul (Tomkins), Glory be to God on high (Tomkins) . Hymn: Glory to thee, my God, this night (Tallis’s Canon) Organ Voluntary: Voluntary for Double Organ (Blow)
Weds 11th May
BBC Radio 3 (rpt Sun 15th May)
London Festival of Contemporary Church Music at St Pancras Church
Weds 18th May
BBC Radio 3 (rpt Sun 22nd May)
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Weds 25th May
BBC Radio 3 (rpt Sun 29th May)
Salisbury Cathedral
Weds 1st June
BBC Radio 3 (rpt Sun 5th June)
St David’s Cathedral