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Candlemas

Katherine Jenkins visits Salisbury Cathedral to celebrate Candlemas and discovers the meaning of the ancient feast day.

Katherine Jenkins visits the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral to celebrate Candlemas - the commemoration of the infant Jesus being presented at the temple in Jerusalem. She discovers the origins and meaning of this ancient feast day with the canon chancellor and learns more about the cathedral's fascinating history from one of the tour guides.

Sean Fletcher visits Charles Farris Candles, a firm that manufacture and supply ten million candles to churches each year.

And nearly 12 months on from the devasting nerve agent attack in Salisbury, the cathedral's new dean, Nick Papadopulos, tells Katherine how the city is striving for peace and unity.

With hymns and songs from across the UK celebrating God's light shining in the darkness.

Music:
Light of the World (Here I Am to Worship) from Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes
Nunc Dimittis from Salisbury Cathedral
Like a Candle Flame from Derby Cathedral
Lux Aeterna from Pershore Abbey
Hear the Call of the Kingdom from Albert Hall, Nottingham
Faithful one from St Thomas the Martyr's Church, Newcastle
The Day Thou Gavest from Salisbury Cathedral.

35 minutes

Stories

The Meaning of Candlemas
Canon Edward explains that the feast day Candlemas marks the story in Luke’s gospel where the infant Jesus is presented in the Temple in Jerusalem and a man called Simeon prophesies over the baby boy and warns his mother Mary about heartbreak to come (when Jesus is crucified). Canon Edward also reflects on what Candlemas means to him personally. 

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Sean meets Alan Matthews at Charles Farris Candles who tells him the firm have been supplying candles to churches and cathedrals since 1845 and currently produce 10,000 a day. Sean helps decorate a pascal candle for Easter with a wax relief of a cross. And he speaks to Christian salesman, John Hopthrow, who speaks about the powerful symbolism of candles in worship.

Salisbury Cathedral – History and traditions
Tour Guide Tricia Glass walks through the cathedral with Katherine explaining how the building only took 38 years to complete and how the magnificent spire – added later – caused the famous bendy pillars. She also tells Katherine about the East End of the cathedral dedicated to Amnesty International and prisoners of conscience.

Katherine meets 13 year old Annenore to hear about her very special role of Chorister Bishop, a medieval custom where a child from the choir is made bishop for a few weeks over Christmas.

Salisbury’s difficult 12 months
Dean Nick Papadopulos reflects on the distressing events in Salisbury in the last 12 months. He was appointed only a week before the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He speaks of the grief, shock and resolve he witnessed in the city and his hope that the cathedral will be a place of reconciliation.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Katherine Jenkins
Presenter Sean Fletcher
Executive Producer Cat Lewis
Executive Producer Emyr Afan
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Producer David Waters
Producer Jonathan Davies
Production Company Avanti Media

Broadcast