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Communion shines in 'Songs of Praise' from staff reports ``It was the Anglican Communion at its best,'' the Director of Communications for the Lambeth Conference, Canon Jim Rosenthal, said after viewing the broadcast on August 2 of the traditional ``Songs of Praise'' programme on BBC. Canon Rosenthal said: ``Stephen Benson and Claire Campbell Smith of the BBC have been working with me for over six months on this project. It was the one thing that I wanted to see happen as we try to tell people what the Anglican Communion is all about. ``I think we did it and that those who created the programme did it well.'' ``Songs of Praise'' has taken on a new life in recent years. Full documentary and music footage makes for an enlightening programme that speaks clearly of peoples' faith in God through their individual circumstances in life. ``Songs of Praise'' accomplished this through the stories of several bishops, including Bishop Dinis Sengulane (Mozambique), Bishop Geralyn Wolf (Rhode Island, US), Bishop Mark MacDonald (Alaska) and Mrs Marion McCall, who has become one of the stars of the Conference by her unique ministry of transporting her husband by aircraft to his episcopal visitations in Australia. Voices also were heard from Bishop Kenneth Fernando (Colombo, Sri Lanka), Bishop Daniel Zindo (Sudan) and Archbishop Glauco Soares de Lima (Brazil). Music included traditional English hymns as well as spirituals and a song from St Stephen and St Lawrence Church in Maputo, Mozambique. Incredible singing accompanied the boat ride down the Thames with the soloist leading the bishops in the happyclappy expressions of ``Down by the Riverside.'' Canon Rosenthal added:``The stories on `Songs of Praise,' presented by the bishops, were poignant and dramatic. They expressed joy as well as concern, but most of all they provided the viewer with a look at the Anglican Communion which is a mosaic of people from all walks of life with various cultural expressions which form this great Christian family throughout the Communion.'' Back to front page of this issue |
