this is bbc news, welcome to a special programme, as the people of manchester come together to remember those who lost their lives in a bomb attack one year ago today. earlier today, a minute's silence during a service of commemoration at manchester cathedral — with tributes and applause in memory of those who died. each of the 22 victims were named during the service, as the bishop of manchester underlined the extensive impact of the events of a year ago. all who were affected have a lasting place in our hearts. you have become part of the story of our city, and we will be part of yours. hundreds of people were affected by the events on the 22nd of may

last year, but alongside pain has come hope. you've got to be positive. you can't let terrorism win. you can't. the love among the people and everybody coming up and supporting you and the hugs you get today off people is just amazing. tonight, the city holds an evening of music and remembrance, as people unite for the manchester together commemoration. good evening from manchester, where the people of this city have been remembering the dreadful events of a year ago — and the 22 lives lost — when a suicide bomber attacked the crowd at a pop concert in the manchester arena. the prime minister and the duke of cambridge joined the families and friends of the victims,

many survivors, and members of the emergency services at a memorial service, where they led a nationwide one—minute silence to honour the victims. one of the strongest themes of the day is the way this city came together in great adversity and showed remarkable spirit and courage. we are waiting for a concert of remembrance to begin here in albert square this evening. meanwhile, our special correspondent allan little reports on the day's events here. music: amazing grace. it was a service in keeping with the values this city articulated so powerfully in the days after the bombing. at its heart, the enduring grief of the families here, and a quiet, restrained pride in manchester's

resilience and defiance. a city united in its determination not to poison civic life with hatred. may we be able to view our lost friends with eyes wise with calming grace, forgive them the damage we were left to inherit. free ourselves from the chains of forlorn resentment. bring warmth again to where the heart has frozen. the place of worship was christian, the commemoration multifaith, reflecting the diversity which is central to manchester's identity. we pray for understanding and for the strength and courage to cope with what has happened. as we share with one another, help us to find comfort in our companionship and active love. the altar held 22 candles, one for each of the dead.

they were made from wax that accumulated from candles left in the days after the attack in st anne's square. then the congregation looked into the faces of those who died, and were reminded again of their youth and vigour and the joy for living that is evident in every picture. the service was broadcast to crowds outside, at 2.30 they stood for a national minute's silence. inside, prince william read from the new testament. love is patient, love is kind. love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. it does not insist on its own way. it is not irritable or resentful. it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. throughout, the tv cameras stayed

off the faces of the bereaved, respecting their right to privacy in their grief. the bishop of manchester spoke for them. whilst we sometimes overwhelm people with care and support in the immediate aftermath of injury or loss, we then withdraw, our interest taken off in other directions. too often, just a few months on from an horrific event, those still bearing the pain are left feeling unsupported. some are even made to feel guilty at not having got over it as rapidly as the rest of us would find comfortable. god has no timetable for our recovery from tragedy. he knows that the hurt can last a lifetime. it was a powerful reminder that though the tragedy may have brought the city together in a spirit of defiance, that does not diminish the private anguish of the bereaved.

allan little, bbc news, manchester. well the volume has gone up quite a few notches in the last few seconds as the crowd warms up for this event tonight. the poem by tony walsh, this is the place set to music reverberating round albert square, you may remember he read that poem at the vigil here in the days following the attack, he also performed it at the one love coun 2 concert and he will again perform that poem in front of the crowd here at the manchester together with one voice event. some 80 plus choirs expected here today, across three stages. and the square here absolutely

packed with people, there is a message from ryan giggs one of a number especially recorded for this event. that the crowd are going to be seeing tonight. including from take that. mark radcliffe on the screens here in the square right now. i salute what you are doing and say i'm singing along with you, look after yourself... and of course music, aboutly a theme of this city, a strong association with music in this city manchester of course, but it feels like we have come full circle from the concert a year ago and that much anticipated performance by ariana grande, who said today she was sending light and warmth to the people of manchester. among those who lost their lives in the attack was 15—year—old 0livia campbell hardy from bury — she was a talented dancer and singer — her grandparents were among the 800 people in today's

congregation — and our correspondent judith moritz has spent the day with them. she's no longer here, but you can feel 0livia's presence everywhere in her grandparents‘ house. from photos to cushions, it's how they keep her close. you just can't get away from it. it's always there. if you want a bit of comfort, you sit on the settee and pick up a cushion, and it's the nearest thing you'll get to a cuddle now. 0livia spent a lot of time in this house. her grandma sharon helped bring her up, along with grandad steve. this morning, they got ready for the first anniversary of her death with a heavy heart. very apprehensive. i think it's something we've got to do, the first of everything isjust... the first of everything is so difficult. but ijust feel that we need to be there, you know,

as part of the 22 families, show our respects. they'd never take away the pain, because that will never go, but at least you know that things are moving on. 0livia loved performing, so today others sang for her. sharon and steve have started a charity, liv‘s trust, funding dance and music for children like those in this choir. you'd otherwise strugglem you can't bottle it up. we've tried and it doesn't work. you've got to be positive, you can't let terrorism win. you can't. and so to the cathedral, to the service of remembrance. we left sharon and steve to go inside without our cameras. time for privacy and prayer and a meeting with a prince. you had to come here

to feel the experience. we have met the prince, prince william, and he was fantastic. he was a lovely man to talk to. lovely. 22 lives are remembered today, all of them loved, and amongst them a teenager, whose grandparents share their sorrow with a city, and who take comfort from the love they felt today. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. we are minutes away are the single begin, ican we are minutes away are the single begin, i can see the choirs assembling on the three stages behind me and the crowd in the run—up to the choirs have been watching videos on the screens round albert square, messages recorded especially for tonight, from actors, singers, from footballers, from

cbeebeis singers, from footballers, from cbeebeis stars. joining me now to reflect on the service is our news correspondent colin paterson. listening to the sound checks earlier and some were the children's choir, it was poignant because children affected by the tragedy a year ago. absolutely, because ariana grande's concert attracted that exact demographic, loads of people in their early teen, even younger we re in their early teen, even younger were at that concert and tonight as were at that concert and tonight as we are looking at the stage we can see the children's choir, there are going to be more than 80 singing over the next two hour, they will come on one at a time, they will sing their own songs and for the last half hour they are going to come back on and lead the whole scare in one giant singalong. the big finale. there was a big cheer forjohnny marr in that message he sent. the mood here, let us talk about that, in contrast to naturally, the very sombre mood at the service at manchester cathedral

earlier. yes in the cathedral a sombre reflective attitude. people really, you could see them thinking back to where they were this time last year and there was a lot of contemplation going on. what has happened is we have moved over about 800 metres across to albert square and here it is starting to feel more like people celebrating life, celebrating music. we spoke about how important music has been to manchester's recovery. every time a musician has come on on the screens with a message, there we go, shaun ryder getting another huge cheer. liam fray from the korteeners, peter hook. people in this city love their music and that is what this evening is about. as i mentioned colin, it does feel like we have come 360 degrees, that night of celebration, people at the ariana grande concert,

it turned to tragedy but in the days that followed, that singing, that spontaneous singing of don't look backin spontaneous singing of don't look back in anger, the one love concert, this event tonight, the theme flowing through it. yes, one of the songs that will be sung is one last time, a ariana grande song, that will be poignant. today at the commemoration service the moment i think that really got to people was when they sang 0ver think that really got to people was when they sang over the rainbow the song that closed the one love concert. there were a lot of tears when that was being sung. it is quite a sight to look across here, so quite a sight to look across here, so many people wearing ariana grande t—shirt, many wearing the working bee t—shirt. we saw a manchester united shirt with 22 on the back in the crowd. i know you had a chance to look at the i think we will pause and listen now, to some of the

speeches opening up tonight's event. good evening everybody. cheering and applause as lord mayor of manchester i welcome you all to albert square, for this evening's manchester together event. cheering and applause tonight, the city of manchester continues to demonstrate our solidarity with those who were affected by the terrible events of one year ago. all our thoughts today are with those who lost their loved ones, and best friends. we also think about those who were injured,

physically as well as psychologically. we also take into consideration those brave men and women who responded and helped to bring our... cheering and applause 0ur manchester together again. weren't they brilliant! cheering and applause we also, we also stand in solidarity with each other azman kuhnians. cheering and applause mancunians. and tonight we are going to show the world that we stand

together. cheering and applause and i am now going to ask the bishop of manchester, the right reverend dr david walker to say a few words. david. applause thank you lord mayor, manchester when we gathered here a year ago, our grief was raw, and our shock was intense, but we pledged that night to be resilient, to defy the terrorist, to turn or very anger into the tool we would use to not follow their path of hate, but to show the love that is manchester's symbol that is manchester's pride. cheering and applause

i lit one candle that night and invited anybody else who wanted to light a cappedle to do so. a couple of weeks later we collected all the left over bits of candle from round st ann's square and manchester, and from them we forged 22 large candles that were lit today in the cathedral in the memorial service, one for each of the people who died. cheering and applause 0ur light has become their light, and that light shines in their lives and that light shines in their lives and shines in our lives too. but we also last year had that amazing concert at the cricket ground. i hope a lot #y0u6 were there. —— of you were there. there. that

reminds us part of the thing in our manchester blood is the place that music play, we are a city of music, and so it is appropriate tonight we come together and let our music be at the forefront of what we do, of who we are, that we show and we don'tjust who we are, that we show and we don't just need who we are, that we show and we don'tjust need professionals to sing for us, we can all sing. cheering and applause we are going to hear some fantastic choirs tonight and they are going to lead us and i hope we are all going tojoin in. cheering and applause because that is the way we do things together and doing things together makes us stronger and makes us manchester. cheering and applause we also last year crafted words into

poetry, and tony walsh gave his amazing poem, didn't he. wasn't that fantastic? so there is no pressure on tonight's poet! but we are going.. laughter chancellor of manchester university. he has a poem for us in one minute but before he does we are going to have one minute of silence, as we again remember those who died, those who carry the physical and the mental scars of 12 months ago. let's be silent. thank you manchester. cheering and applause that silence impeccably observed,

and now a poem. skeletons foxtrot from cupboards, so war correspondents become travel show presenters, and magpies bring back lost property, children engagement rings, broken things let there be peace so storms can go out to sea

to be angry and return to me calm, so the broken can rise up and dance in the hospitals and dance in the hospitals and let the aged ethopian man in the grey block of flats peer through his window and see others before him so his thrilled outstretched arms become frames for his dreams. let there be peace and let tears fall and evaporate to form clouds and cleanse themselves and fall into reservoirs of drinking water. and let harsh memories burst.

let harsh memories burst into fireworks that melt in the dark pupils of a child's eyes and disappear like shoals of silver darting fish, and let the waves reach the shore with a shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thank you. cheering and applause ladies and

gentlemen, please give a warm round of applause for your host, the quite incredible woman, that isjenny mcalpine. thank you. oh thank you manchester, thank you lem. how brilliant was that. right, listen, manchester, we're starting, we are going live. i will tell you about what is happening soon because we are going to go live to the one show, really really soon, like, now. 0k? to go live to the one show, really really soon, like, now. ok? so we are live on the television, we are going to have a mass singalong tonight. and you are going to help, but first of all, some fabulous choirs, not least this very first one, here they are, performing live, for the first time ever, they have come together as community groups, youth choirs, they are performing for the first time with this is why

we sing the manchester 0ne for the first time with this is why we sing the manchester one voice choir. cheering and applause # the sound of hope # the sound of hope #a # the sound of hope # a sound of peace # a sound of peace #a # a sound of peace # a sound of peace # a sound that celebrates what we believe #a believe # a sound of love # a sound of love #a # a sound of love # a sound of love # a sound so strong # a sound so strong # it's amazing what is given # it's amazing what is given # when we share a song # when we share a song # this is why we sing

# this is why we sing # why we lift our voice # why we lift our voice # why we stand as one in harmony # why we stand as one in harmony # this is why we sing # this is why we sing # why we lift our voice # why we lift our voice # sing with me # sing with me # soon the song # soon the song # mend a heart # mend a heart # bring together lives # bring together lives # share thejoy # share thejoy # share thejoy # find a prayer # find a prayer # it's a never ending gift

# it's a never ending gift # this is why we sing # this is why we sing # why we lift our voice # why we lift our voice # why we sing as one in harmony # why we sing as one in harmony # this is why we sing # this is why we sing # why we lift our voice # why we lift our voice # take my hand and sing with me # take my hand and sing with me # music builds a bridge # music builds a bridge # tear down the wall # tear down the wall # music is a language that can speak to one and all # this is why we sing # this is why we sing # why we lift our voice # why we lift our voice # why we sing as one in harmony

# why we sing as one in harmony # this is why we sing # this is why we sing # why we lift our voice # why we lift our voice # take my hand and sing with me # take my hand and sing with me # this is why we sing # this is why we sing #we # this is why we sing # we sing # we sing # this is why we sing. # cheering and applause cheering and applause cheering and applause manchester cheering and applause manchester can cheering and applause manchester can manche we cheering and applause manchester can we hear it again for the manchester 0ne we hear it again for the manchester one voice youth choir. brilliant, quy: one voice youth choir. brilliant, guy, brilliant. what a brilliant opening to our show. so you know that we are here, you know why we are here manchester

and we appreciate you crowds so much, honestly, thank you. we are going to hearfrom some much, honestly, thank you. we are going to hear from some other fabulous choirs soon, all up until about 8.30 when we are going to start our mass singalong and that is when we need your help, because there is going to be a choir of 22800 people, yes, —— 2800, plus you lot who are going to help us sing some brilliant anthems that i think you will agree really really spell out why we're here and what we're doing here, we know why we're here, we are here to remember an our thoughts and love are with the people who lost their lives, a year ago this evening and their families, and everyone who was affected. they really are and we know that, but we are here because manchester does this best, we stand together, we be strong and one thing we do brilliantly, think above all else, is music. there is another brilliant qualm

behind me. as musical director, what brought this event together and why are we doing it? music has been a massive part of how manchester responded last year. as soon as it happened we had the singalong in the and it

last réé'g'figznfftift l" tit ; ifs: ' ' m ' i adore this réé'g'figznfftift l" tit ; ifs: ' ' m ' iadore this jjand ~ ~ ~ a city we bane done , 1 ~ a city we g done ourselves! definitely. as a manchester proud. definitely. as a manchester girli proud. definitely. as a manchester girl i agree with that and notjust me, we have lots of other familiar manchester faces joining me, we have lots of other familiar manchesterfacesjoining us. me, we have lots of other familiar manchester faces joining us. not least our first guest this evening who is commonwealth gold medallist who io oommooooolth dolo méooihst: who io oommooo’oolth dolo méooihst: 7:7 {bio a,, ,,

this looks everyone. this looks amazing from here. as a manchester girl, from moss side, i wanted to be here tonight to stand in solidarity with “fifi" their yours