WELCOME TO 2012! 

Thanks for visiting the Peter Aston website and welcome to the January 2012 update.  Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a wonderful (literally) Christmas!  Thanks for all the encouraging responses to my radio programme 'Forest Folk' which broadcasts on 92.3FM and streams live at http://www.forestfm.co.uk and at http://www.radioplayer.co.uk   The programme goes out between 8.00 & 10.00 each Monday evening and features a wide range of folk and roots music.  If there's something that you would like to hear, just let me know either at peter@peter-aston.co.uk or by writing to me at Forest FM, 2 Enterprise Park, Verwood BH31 6YS.   

My 2010 CD "We can all be free" is available in-store at Keith Jones Christian Bookshop in Bournemouth click here , at Livingstone God's Shop in Boscombe click here and at Square Records in Wimborne click here and is downloadable fom the usual sources such as amazon.  You can also buy it direct from me via Paypal - just send me an e-mail.  The CD is also available from CD Baby in America click here where I invite you to write a short review if you wish.  Apart from helping to inform browsers it will also help to, literally, spread the Word.  The photo to the right was taken at Knowlton Church in Dorset - a Norman church (now in ruins) which was built in the centre of Neolithic rings of about the same age as Stonehenge.

If you're visiting this site for the first time, a quick introduction - I'm Peter Aston, a Christian singer/songwriter and worship leader based at Holtwood Methodist Church which is a welcoming, evangelical church in an idyllic location near Wimborne, close to the south coast of England. My music ministry falls into three main areas - as a singer & guitarist (solo, duo with Becky Shears playing flute or with a full band), as guitarist with the worship group at Holtwood and as guitarist with the Holtwood Mission Band in the wider area.

By way of a contrast I'm the singer/guitarist/caller with celtic ceilidh band Cottage Industry, a solo singer/guitarist and a wandering minstrel/court chamberlain for medieval banquets.  When time permits, I also play guitar for Dotty Crotchets, a Dorset volunteer ceilidh band providing entertainment for a variety of charitable events.  The charities supported by the band are Wells for India and Mercy Ships, upon which fiddler Dr Tim serves regularly.  For completeness the Dotty Crotchets bookings have been added to the Cottage Industry page - just click on the banner at the top of this page.  So, all in all, a fairly eclectric musical life!  if you would like to discuss booking me please contact me on (01258) 840844 or send an e-mail to peter@peter-aston.co.uk 

The photo below was taken at God's Blessing Green in Dorset where, during the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell is reputed to have asked for God's blessing on his Parliamentary troops as they advanced towards the Royalist stronghold at Corfe Castle. 

In 2010 tracks from my new album did really well on NCM compilation CDs of new music which are distributed worldwide each month by New Christian Music & UK Christian Music Alliance.  My songs have been featured on radio stations from Australia to Shetland and from the Netherlands to America.  NCM really have a blessed ministry to promote new Christian music to a global audience - many of whom wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to hear it.  So a big thank you to all at NCM, particularly Paul Davis.

Another project with which I'm involved is Wimborne Community Theatre (WCT).  In August and September 2010 WCT presented "Source - Tales from the Pump House" at Wimborne Pumphouse in Dorset as part of the Sting in the Tale Festival and also during Architectural Heritage Week.  This production was a taster for the full production "The Great Rinsing" in July 2011 - see here for the latest information.

Many new doors have opened for me in recent years and continue to open - and many new friends have been made.  If you're one of those who helped to open these doors, then thank you!    

Click on the navigation bar at the top of this page to explore the website.  A good place to start is the "Peter Aston" page which contains all the latest news of what I've been up to, plus links to the other updated pages and to associated websites.

My 2003 CD "Name in the Sand" contains 12 of my contemporary Christian songs and you can hear snatches of some of these songs on this website as well as buying the CD.  Individual tracks may also be downloaded from iTunes - just enter my name into the search engine.  "Name in the Sand" is also available internationally to purchase from http://cdbaby.com/cd/peteraston  

Please get in touch here if I can help with worship or a concert at your church or in your community, particularly at outreach events - or if you're looking for a fun ceilidh band for a social or family occasion.  Thanks again for visiting my website and have fun browsing!

Peter