Christmas with the tabernacle choir | backstage with sir david suchet | season 2023

(dramatic music) - I've appeared with other orchestras, but never in a space like this, and never with a choir like this. When I first walked in, I looked around and I saw something

like twenty-one thousand seats. I was terrified. (dramatic music) (audience applauds) In my experience, I'm a theater actor, and when I was at the Royal Shakespeare Theater, we probably

seated about 1,500. What an honor for me to be with you. - All of the honor is ours, so thank you. - But what happened was that the more I worked with everybody, with all the wonderful

staff and the crew, the space seemed to warm up in the atmosphere. And honor, peace, goodwill toward men. The preparation of a Bible reading for me is probably more important than the actual

delivery. The Bible itself never, ever says, "Read the Word of the Lord." The Bible always says, "Hear the Word of the Lord." And Paul himself says, "By hearing,

you will come to faith." And it came to pass in those days... The experience of reading Luke 2, it's one of my favorite passages anyway, because what is extraordinary about the

birth of Christ is that it was so ordinary. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. What was extraordinary was the conception.

And what was extraordinary was the vision that was given to the shepherds. And the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were sore afraid. The angel says, "The sign of this

Christ will be a baby in a feeding trough." There's nothing extraordinary about the birth and the narration that I need to give. I just need to say it's simply in an ordinary

way. And as a man of faith, I leave it to the Holy Spirit to do the work for God. (audience applauds) I didn't have any faith before 1986. So I came to faith when I was 40 years of age.

I was in a hotel room. I was looking for something that would talk to me about the resurrected life of Jesus. I didn't really know anything about that, but I knew about Paul. So I read

his letter to the Romans. And in chapter eight is where it began for me. I found a way of life to which I could only ever hope to aspire. I've experienced the love of the Lord in my

life, but I think more than anything I've realized I have to have the faith and the confidence to know that a hand, the hand of a loving Father is guiding me, guiding me through painful

times as well as good times. - Well, I thought I was just on another job with David. You know, I've followed him around a fair amount since the children left home. But this is

something else, isn't it? (audience laughs) I've never been moved in quite the same way. (gentle uplifting music) (choir vocalizing) The one word to describe being here is life

enhancing, really. - Well, I have to agree. (both laughing) Being here with you and your amazing talent and gifts that you give so generously from your heart, because I know where that sound

comes from, because like you, I do it. And if it doesn't come from there, then they don't feel it. And you make us feel it. And it's such a privilege to be on the stage

knowing that we're all together. So, thank you.