A great deal has been happening on many fronts and the pace is now most definitely hotting up. A few of the highlights…
 

• Planning and Logistics. There has been a plethora of meetings, emails, phone calls and discussions. The BBC have put it all together in a formidable ‘Technical Requirements’ document for those involved.

• There has already been a preliminary musical run-through to time the various items for the two services, featuring St Faith’s church choir and the nucleus of the ‘Core Choir’ – people with loud voices who will be in the front pews for the recordings, looking bright and happy, familiar with the services and ready to belt out the music and impress the cameras and viewers.

• The St Faith’s ‘Flower people’ have been busy creating sample decorations, hangings and arrangements (including Advent candles and all the trimmings for the font) and getting them approved, ready for decking out the church in the days before the recording sessions.  Other church members have been equally busy with their various responsibilities (car parking arrangements, sidesmen's duties, heating, security, booking tickets, etc etc!)

• Although we wouldn’t normally have our Christmas tree in place until just before Christmas, the BBC has decreed that there must be two 20ft trees up and decorated for the recordings, even though the services are being recorded and broadcast in the season of Advent. Most people of course believe that Christmas ends on Christmas Day (or very soon after) - for Christians that's when it all begins...

• The theme of the four Advent services (two preceding ones are being recorded  in a church ‘down south’) is ‘Down to Earth’ (a neat juxtaposition of the themes of the Incarnation and environmental matters). James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, features in all four, linking them with the environmental theme: he will be appearing prominently in both ‘our’ services.

• The first service (Sung Eucharist for Advent III) will run for an hour; the second (the Carol Service) for three-quarters of an hour.

• The first service will be transmitted on BBC1 on Sunday December 12th at 10.00 a.m; the second one on the following Sunday.

• Taking part in the first service will be the ‘Love and Joy Gospel Choir’; the second service may feature a ‘celebrity reader’. The BBC Radio 2 Chorister of the Year is also appearing.

• There will be five cameras in church, and miles of cables and lighting. Outside there will doubtless be lots of support vehicles, and certainly catering buses and portaloos!

• Among the equipment in use will be, according to the BBC, 'two small quiet gennies', a 'Jimmy Jib', an 'Osprey', '5 stornos', a 'Lazy T/B', and a 'Widescreen Digibeta....'

• The final rehearsal and recording sessions occupy various lengthy time-slots from Thursday 2nd to Saturday 4th December; these could be described as the tip of the BBC iceberg for the many people at St Faith’s involved in the processes of planning, liaising, communicating and generally keeping everybody happy!

• Those attending the recordings are asked to bring packed lunches, and to dress brightly (but with different clothes for the two services!). There are to be no coats worn, but 'thermals' are recommended!

• Admission is by ticket only, but there are still tickets available for anyone who has not applied – ring Fr Neil Kelley on 0151-928 3342.

Click here for the latest bulletin recording the events of the week leading up to the recording sessions.
 
 
 

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