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Afternoon Drama: The People's Passion

David Bradley

Sarah Gordy

Kim Wall

James Fleet

Claire Rushbrook

Tina Gray

Harry Livingstone

Peter Hamilton-Dyer

Jonquil Panting

Nick Warburton

Drama on 4: The People's Passion: Episode 5: The Road to Emmaus

The Road to Emmaus

Episode 5

Episode 5: The Road to Emmaus

The People's Passion

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, The People's Passion, The Road to Emmaus

Good Friday at the cathedral, and no-one seems quite themselves.

By Nick Warburton. Good Friday is a big day for Robert, the cathedral's director of music. And despite his attempts to clear his mind, it all keeps going out of kilter.

Cathedrals still dominate our city centres: once symbols of temporal power, of technological wonder, a vital part of our musical health, and more recently the focus of protest and appeals to a new morality - what do they mean to us now?

Originally broadcast during Holy Week, The People's Passion explores how our great cathedrals offer an image of the contradictions of faith in twenty-first century Britain.

The People's Passion Mass and Easter Anthem, composed specially for the series by Sasha Johnson Manning, with lyrics written by the poet Michael Symmons Roberts, not only features in the programmes, but was made freely available by the BBC, and sung by a hundred and fifty choirs around Britain and across the world, during Easter 2012, including Easter Day Worship on Radio 4, from Manchester Cathedral.

5/5: The Road to Emmaus

by Nick Warburton


Good Friday is a big day for Robert, the Cathedral's Director of Music. And despite his attempts to clear his mind, it all keeps going out of kilter. In fact, as the Cathedral fills and empties for the afternoon service and the big evening performance by the Voluntary choir, no one - from lost tourists to late singers - seems to be quite themselves...

Produced and Directed by Jonquil Panting

Original music by Sasha Johnson Manning, with lyrics by Michael Symmons Roberts.

Performed by:
Manchester Chamber Choir, directed by Christopher Stokes, with Jeffrey Makinson (organ), Rob Shorter (tenor), Rebecca Whettam (cello), Jahan Hunter (trumpet) and Holly Marland (recorder).
BBC Singers with Eleanor Gregory (soprano), Margaret Cameron (alto), Chris Bowen (tenor), Stephen Charlesworth (bass) and Andrew Earis (piano).
Andrew Kirk (organ), and the choir of Saint Mary Redcliffe, Bristol.

Drama on 4: The People's Passion

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

By Nick Warburton. Drama set in a fictional cathedral

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