New book to mark Songs of Praise's 50th anniversary

The nation’s favourite Sunday afternoon show celebrates its 50th anniversary this year - and a new book has been written about it.

Songs of Praise, the world’s longest running religious TV programme, continues to draw in millions of regular viewers each week.

It has featured Gordon Brown, Princes Charles and Cliff Richard as well as churches big and small across the country and from overseas locations including Moscow, Peking, the Falkland Islands and Australia.

As the BBC marks the anniversary with special programmes and a spectacular anniversary party in October, a celebration book will also be released.

In ’Songs of Praise: Celebrating 50 years', BBC journalist Trevor Barnes gathers together the most compelling interviews and inspirational musical highlights with moving stories of individual viewers.

Barnes, a journalist and award-winning reporter for the BBC’s Religion and Ethics department, has gone back through the history books to find out why the show has survived for so long.

The book includes current and past presenters sharing their favourite hymns, former producers talking about their vision for the programme and how it has developed over the years, newspaper cuttings, photographs and behind the scenes insights from crew members.

Meanwhile, Andrea Bocelli and Katherine Jenkins will lead the 50th anniversary celebrations for the programme.

They will be among performers at a concert at London’s Alexandra Palace for 7,000 people to be filmed on 25 September and shown in early October.

Presenters Aled Jones, Diane-Louise Jordan, Sally Magnusson and Pam Rhodes will also take part. A 200-strong choir will accompany the solo artists.

The ensemble will include previous winners of the programme’s school choir of the year competition.