Televised Masses – A personal reflection on the two
A personal reflection on the two Masses televised from Clifton Cathedral on BBC One, by Cathedral Altar Server Gerard Owen.
This Advent the BBC came to Clifton Cathedral to televise two of our Masses live and enable us to offer our liturgies to the wider world. Songwriter Graham Kendrick’s “Stranger in the Manger?” series on BBC One started at Clifton on the first Sunday of Advent in a reflective, preparatory mood and culminated in an exciting fusion of old and young traditions of music and liturgy on Christmas Day.
This was all a very exciting prospect! The televising of a live Catholic Mass in England is comparatively rare; we are a minority denomination. This last year we have, as a nation, seen two major liturgies but both were broadcast from St Peter’s Square, on a large and magnificent scale celebrating the life of one Pope and the election of another. By contrast the Masses broadcast from Clifton Cathedral were homegrown, far more intimate parish occasions celebrating the passing of seasons and feasts. Clifton Cathedral, unlike St Peter’s Basilica, built at the height of the Italian Renaissance, is a modern concrete building, adored and loathed equally by its congregation and visitors.
It became very clear that the BBC had researched our building thoroughly crafting the staging to highlight the many architectural aspects designed to concentrate our minds on worship. The play of light from the mosaic stained glass over the Baptismal Font with waters trickling down into its shallow pool was particularly beautiful.
It was a real privilege for me to be able to serve and participate in the celebrations on both occasions that the BBC but I had no idea, at the outset, of the amount of preparation, rehearsal and disciplined timing the events would need.
The first inkling of the scale of the undertaking was seeing the installation of extensive lighting, microphones and cables. As well as technical preparation, all those involved in the delivery of the Masses needed to rehearse positions and roles to ensure that everything was done reverently but in 59 minutes precisely to fit the programme timing. Sometimes it proved very long and arduous work.
However it was all worth it by the time we lined up ready to process out on Advent Sunday and the floor manager whispered to us “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 cue!” The liturgy opened with the clergy and servers gathered around the font where a large candle sent its light up the roof through an arrangement of gold and silver branches reaching skyward. Fittingly, it was there that Graham Kendrick played his song “I Shall Be Clean Again”. We prayed for the coming of the Messiah as we offered up our prayers and ended the broadcast with “Long Ago Prophets Knew” promising, “We will make him welcome”.
Welcome him we did at Mass on Christmas Day, which was not only broadcast nationwide on BBC One but also around the world on BBC Prime. This was a result of a highly successful Advent Mass, whose viewing figures doubled those expected. Once again the atmosphere was unforgettable. Choir, orchestra and congregation raised the roof with each hymn in an overflowing Cathedral and as Christ’s arrival was greeted with joy and warmth. At the same time an extra special effort was made by all to reach out to those who are suffering from poor health, who are housebound and therefore unable to attend Mass or those who are spending their first Christmas without a loved one. Children of the parish mimed the Nativity, all miraculously on cue with a very young, very quiet little baby in the central role. The Mass and the series ended with “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and our promise to welcome Christ was fulfilled as we sang “Glory to the newborn King”.
I was very impressed by the professionalism of the BBC team not only on the technical side but most importantly on the respect and discretion they showed to the liturgy and congregation. All of them were volunteers for Christmas Day and all did excellent jobs at both Masses bringing the viewers at home fantastic views of the Cathedral and the celebration while at the same time ensuring that they never disrupted or disturbed quiet prayer or sacred moments.
These two televised Masses were very important to both the parish of Clifton Cathedral and to the wider community. They brought joy and comfort to members of both our and other communities who are finding life tough. By televising our liturgy the BBC enabled us to carry out an important task. To reach out and pass on a message of welcome to others in our community as we welcome Jesus Christ on 25 December. I was greatly honoured and proud to be a part of the parish that delivered that message.
Gerard Owen
Useful URL : http://www.cliftoncathedral.org.uk
This Advent the BBC came to Clifton Cathedral to televise two of our Masses live and enable us to offer our liturgies to the wider world. Songwriter Graham Kendrick’s “Stranger in the Manger?” series on BBC One started at Clifton on the first Sunday of Advent in a reflective, preparatory mood and culminated in an exciting fusion of old and young traditions of music and liturgy on Christmas Day.
This was all a very exciting prospect! The televising of a live Catholic Mass in England is comparatively rare; we are a minority denomination. This last year we have, as a nation, seen two major liturgies but both were broadcast from St Peter’s Square, on a large and magnificent scale celebrating the life of one Pope and the election of another. By contrast the Masses broadcast from Clifton Cathedral were homegrown, far more intimate parish occasions celebrating the passing of seasons and feasts. Clifton Cathedral, unlike St Peter’s Basilica, built at the height of the Italian Renaissance, is a modern concrete building, adored and loathed equally by its congregation and visitors.
It became very clear that the BBC had researched our building thoroughly crafting the staging to highlight the many architectural aspects designed to concentrate our minds on worship. The play of light from the mosaic stained glass over the Baptismal Font with waters trickling down into its shallow pool was particularly beautiful.
It was a real privilege for me to be able to serve and participate in the celebrations on both occasions that the BBC but I had no idea, at the outset, of the amount of preparation, rehearsal and disciplined timing the events would need.
The first inkling of the scale of the undertaking was seeing the installation of extensive lighting, microphones and cables. As well as technical preparation, all those involved in the delivery of the Masses needed to rehearse positions and roles to ensure that everything was done reverently but in 59 minutes precisely to fit the programme timing. Sometimes it proved very long and arduous work.
However it was all worth it by the time we lined up ready to process out on Advent Sunday and the floor manager whispered to us “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 cue!” The liturgy opened with the clergy and servers gathered around the font where a large candle sent its light up the roof through an arrangement of gold and silver branches reaching skyward. Fittingly, it was there that Graham Kendrick played his song “I Shall Be Clean Again”. We prayed for the coming of the Messiah as we offered up our prayers and ended the broadcast with “Long Ago Prophets Knew” promising, “We will make him welcome”.
Welcome him we did at Mass on Christmas Day, which was not only broadcast nationwide on BBC One but also around the world on BBC Prime. This was a result of a highly successful Advent Mass, whose viewing figures doubled those expected. Once again the atmosphere was unforgettable. Choir, orchestra and congregation raised the roof with each hymn in an overflowing Cathedral and as Christ’s arrival was greeted with joy and warmth. At the same time an extra special effort was made by all to reach out to those who are suffering from poor health, who are housebound and therefore unable to attend Mass or those who are spending their first Christmas without a loved one. Children of the parish mimed the Nativity, all miraculously on cue with a very young, very quiet little baby in the central role. The Mass and the series ended with “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and our promise to welcome Christ was fulfilled as we sang “Glory to the newborn King”.
I was very impressed by the professionalism of the BBC team not only on the technical side but most importantly on the respect and discretion they showed to the liturgy and congregation. All of them were volunteers for Christmas Day and all did excellent jobs at both Masses bringing the viewers at home fantastic views of the Cathedral and the celebration while at the same time ensuring that they never disrupted or disturbed quiet prayer or sacred moments.
These two televised Masses were very important to both the parish of Clifton Cathedral and to the wider community. They brought joy and comfort to members of both our and other communities who are finding life tough. By televising our liturgy the BBC enabled us to carry out an important task. To reach out and pass on a message of welcome to others in our community as we welcome Jesus Christ on 25 December. I was greatly honoured and proud to be a part of the parish that delivered that message.
Gerard Owen
Useful URL : http://www.cliftoncathedral.org.uk
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