From St Paul's Cathedral.
Sons and Mothers. For Christmas Eve MarkTully explores the special but often complex relationship between Sons and mothers. Producer Beverley McAinsh
Ham Walls. Lionel Kellewaytalks to Sally Mills who has guided the restoration of a peat extraction site to a glorious wildlife haven, hosting one of the greatest bird spectacles in Britain. Producer Julian Hector. E-MAIL: nature@bbc.co.uk
Roger Bolton with the week's religious and ethical news. Producer Bernadette McConnell. E-MAILsunday@bbc.co.uk
Michael Caine speaks on behalf of a charity which gives support and advice to families who have a relative missing.
Producer Anne Downing. DONATIONS: National Missing Persons Helpline, [address removed]. CREDIT CARDS:
[number removed]. Repeated Thursday 28 December 3.27pm
The Lord Will Give You a Sign. The last in a special series for Advent, with Bishop Richard Holloway. From St Bride's Episcopal Church, Hyndland.
With the choir of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow. Director of music FridrikWalker.
Repeated from Friday
With Eddie Mair. Editor Kevin Marsh
Omnibus edition.
Humphrey Lyttelton hosts the antidote to panel games. Repeated from Monday
This week snuffling out and scoffing rare, tasty truffles - both the melt-in-the-mouth chocolate and the pungent fungal kind. Producer Rebecca Wells
With James Cox.
A series about music that makes the hairs stand up on the back of our necks. This week, Silent Night, one of the world's most popular carols, which has the ability to transport many of us back to childhood memories. Producer Rosie Boulton
Nigel Colborn , John Cushnie and Bob Flowerdew are in the land of Christmas trees with a special edition from Gothenburg in Sweden. With chairman Eric Robson.
Producer Trevor Taylor
Live from the Chapel of King's College,
Cambridge. Members of the college tell the story of the loving purpose of God as revealed in the Bible. The choir is directed by Stephen Cleobury. Producers David Kremer and James Whitbourn Repeated tomorrow 2pm on Radio 3
Full order of service: page 42
Frank Delaney presents a selection of requests for the festive season including Ghost Story by Dylan Thomas , Benjamin Zephaniah 's Talking
Turkeys and Walter de la Mare 's Mistletoe. Readers Timothy West , Stephanie Cole and Haydn Gwynne. Producer Kate McAII. Repeated Saturday 30 December 11.30pm
Dame Thora Hird , now in her 90th year, reveals some of her favourite pieces of prose and poetry. Herchosen writers include William Shakespeare , Sir Alec Guinness and Dylan Thomas. Readers Stephen Moore , John Thomson and her granddaughter, Daisy. There is also a rousing contribution from the Salvation Army Band. ProducerViv Beeby. Extended repeat tomorrow 1.05pm
In today's wars the journalism is instantaneous-skirmishes from the front line are beamed from a mobile satellite dish in minutes. In her concluding talk, Kate Adie takes a historical perspective and draws on her experiences in the Balkans to consider the implications of reporting on wars as they happen. Producer Tony Grant. Shortened rpt Saturday 30 December 7.45pm
John McCarthy presents his selection of extracts from BBC radio over the past seven days.
Phone: [number removed] Fax: [number removed].
E-Mail: [address removed]
The flocks watch the shepherds. Rptd tomorrow 2pm Soap and Rannel with Alison Graham : page 36
Bill Bryden 's Royal National Theatre production of The Mysteries, based on the medieval plays of York, Wakefield and Chester, in a version by Tony Harrison and the Company. The play tells the story of the birth of Christ, attended by the shepherds and the three kings, and Herod's slaughter of the innocents.
Starring in alphabetical order: Peter Armitage , Stephen Bent ,
David Bradley , Cathryn Bradshaw , David Busby , Paul Copley , Joe Duttine. William Gaunt , Sue Johnston , Trevor Laird ,
William MacBain , John Normington , Robert Oates. Joanna Page. Trevor Ray , lain Robertson, Jack Shepherd , John Tams , Howard Ward and Don Warrington. Music performed by Graeme Taylor , Jonathan Davie , Stephen Dawson , Alan Dunn , Michael Gregory , Kevin Morgan , John Tarns , Keith Thomson. Roger Wilson and Linda Thompson. Producer Nicholas Newton. Director Bill Bryden (R)
Former King's singer Alaistair Hume goes in search of the origins of two popular Christmas carols. In the first of two programmes this evening he explores the background of Mary's Boy Child, a piece that is still working its way into the caroling repertoire by way of the fifties hit parade. Producer Tom Alban (R). Part 2 is at llpm
Michael Rosen presents the programme about words and the way we speak. Repeated from Thursday
Mark Carwardine travels the globe in the first of three encounters with some of our largest marine mammals. Blue Whales in Iceland. Once a nation of whale hunters, Iceland is now a mecca for whale watchers. However, a recent vote in Parliament to resume whaling has jeopardised the future for these magnificent creatures.
(R).
E-Mail: [email address removed]
Roger Bolton investigates the sources of the Nativity story and looks at elements that have puzzled historians down the ages. Repeated from Tuesday
For those feeling overwhelmed by the festivities, Mark Whitaker looks back on a period when Christmas was banned in Britain. Anyone found celebrating risked imprisonment and even eating mince pies was an offence.
(Shortened repeat tomorrow 6.15pm)
Dinah Lammiman talks to four high-ranking women politicians around the world about what it means to be a woman in parliament. Producer JaneBeresford.
Alaistair Hume examines one of the most popular carols in our national repertoire - 0 Little Town of Bethlehem. But just how British is it? For details see 8.15pm
The traditional midnight Eucharist welcoming the birth of Christ, live from the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Chad's, Birmingham. Celebrant and preacher the Most Rev Vincent Nichols , Archbishop of Birmingham. With the St Chad's Cathedral Singers leading the congregation. Director of music David Saint. Missa Sancti Nicolai; Angels We Have Heard on High; Joyto the World; It Came upon the Midnight Clear; In Dulci Jubilo; Love Came Down at Christmas; All the Skies Tonight Sing O'er Us; Sleep, Holy Babe; Adeste Fideles. Producer Claire Campbell Smith
Compilation of the poems commissioned for National
Poetry Day. Producer Julian May. Rptd New Year's Day 12 15am
