Hymns of the forefathers

ABC TV has announed that a special, one hour edition of "Hymns of the Forefathers" will be screened on Easter Sunday, April 11, from 10.00am to 11.00am.

Executive producer Peter Beveridge led his film crew to spectacular locations in the UK and the USA, discovering the histories of some of the world's most beloved and influential music - the majestic hymns of the English and American church.

All of the programs combine brand-new stunning footage of England's most historic places of worship and beautiful countryside with new symphonic and choral arrangements of the hymns created by Paul Terracini. Terracini conducts the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the choirs Vox Ecclesiae and Cantillation in two new recordings soon to be released by ABC Classics.

The Easter Special includes:

The Hymns:
Amazing Grace (John Newton)

How Great Thou Art (Stuart Hine)

Tell Out My Soul (Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith OBE)

Nearer My God to Thee

The Locations: Olney, New York City, Westminster Abbey, the Cathedrals of Durham, Salisbury and Lincoln.

The Stories: The redemption of the eighteenth-century slave-trader John Newton inspired two significant outcomes: the abolition of slavery in England in 1807 achieved by Newton's friend and prot William Wilberforce, and the text for one of the world's most famous hymns "Amazing Grace".

The number 1 "Songs of Praise" hymn in the UK How Great Thou Art's, traversal of the Atlantic from the US, and the establishment of its popularity in the 1950's through Billy Graham and George Beverley Shea.

Tell Out My Soul is a contemporary hymn written by Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith who this year was awarded an OBE for services to Hymnody.

Log onto our NEW web site @ www.hymnsforefathers.com for a full overview of the series, the six TV episodes with video samples of each episode.

Useful link: www.hymnsforefathers.com