Asylum Hill Congregational Church Prepares for A Live Television Broadcast

04/10/1971 |

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Technical preparations began for the next day’s live broadcast of the Easter service from the Asylum Hill Congregational Church.

A crew from CBS arrived and set up a broadcast truck on Huntington Street.
The crew ran a special power cable from the Cathedral of Saint Joseph across Asylum Avenue.
The lighting and sound equipment were set up inside the nave so that they would be invisible to the viewers.
Preparations took all day.

Between March 24 and the service on April 11, preparations for the service would increase
Choir rehearsals would increase, with the choir emphasizing practice on marching in straighter lines.
Bernard Drew hoped to have his sermon ready by April 1.

The Courant covered rehearsals for the Boar’s Head festival on December 28, 1968.

Bernard Drew will officially announce his retirement on December 6, 1972.

Bernard Drew told Ann Hall that

CBS had selected Asylum Hill Congregational Church for this broadcast because Ivor Hugh had pitched the church as a location for a televised Easter service at a meeting he attended with CBS executives.
Hugh had told the executives that AHCC was colorful, had excellent music, and was Mark Twain’s church, after all.
The CBS executives responded that if Hugh could arrange it, they’d be there.

Ann Hall was a reporter for the Hartford Courant.
Ivor Hugh was director of communications for the Connecticut and Greater Hartford Councils of Churches.

Hall, Ann, “TV to Air Services from City Church,” Hartford Courant, March 23, 1971, page 1A.

Kauffman, Bruce, “City minister preaches Easter sermon to millions via TV,” Hartford Courant, April 12, 1971, page 5.

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