Songs of Praise

Trentham Gardens (2020x33)

Uitzenddatum: Aug 16, 2020

Claire McCollum visits Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire, discovering the rich religious history of this beautiful estate. She hears about Trentham’s connection with Saint Werburgh, who ran a convent on the site back in the seventh century. Claire finds out about the Two Saints Way, an ancient pilgrimage route through the Gardens, revived in recent years to help people connect with God through nature. We also speak to the couple running the parish church situated at the top of Trentham’s flower gardens, to find out how worship is still a huge part of life there today. Just south of the estate, Radzi Chinyanganya tries his hand at beekeeping with a vicar who has taken up the hobby as part of his calling to care for creation. And we meet the Christian sisters celebrating the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, when the Japanese surrender ended the Second World War. They talk about their father, who was a prisoner of war in the Far East and reveal how he organised the building of a church at the Chungkai camp, so that prisoners could worship together. The episode includes special performances recorded in Trentham Gardens from AMC Gospel Choir, the Salvation Army’s International Staff Songsters, and soprano singer Olivia Safe.