September 2001 marked the 40th anniversary of the nation's favourite religious TV programme, Songs of Praise. This BBC tie-in is published to celebrate the occasion.

This lavishly illustrated gift book chronicles the history of the most popular religious programme on television by far. Songs of Praise will entertain, reawaken fond memories and inspire all fans of the show.

Written by a former producer of the programme, Songs of Praise traces the story from the first broadcast to the present day. With a lightness of touch, Andrew Barr recounts amusing anecdotes, reveals a behind-the-scenes view of how a programme is put together, looks back at the most inspirational of the interviews, explores some of the more unusual and imaginative locations and props, and shows how the programme has responded to changing musical styles and tastes. All the favourite presenters are there and, above all, there are the hymns which make the programme so personal and special.