Music Ministry

My music ministry started back in 1977 when I joined Holtwood Mission Band (HMB), as singer/guitarist. Since then, many doors have opened to me and a great variety of musical opportunities have come my way - exploring this website will give you a flavour of the last 30 years! 

Songwriting

In the 1970s I started to write songs for HMB Christmas presentations at Holtwood Methodist Church, including a couple of complete musicals. A milestone, however, came in 1984 when 'Father and Son' was written. This is the song that somehow seemed to flow out of my pen - I just held on tight as the words appeared on the page! In late 2003 that I was able to put onto CD a record of my work since the 1980s - so the 'Name in the Sand' album was very much catching-up!

In the Worldwide Unisong 2005 competition my song 'Horton Tower' made it to the finals, following which I was interviewed by the International Songwriters Association for the 'Songwriter' magazine.
You can read Part 1 by opening the Songwriter Profile PDF (240kb).
You can read Part 2 by opening the Songwriter Profile Pt2 PDF (419Kb).

Review of 2007

April - on Good Friday morning flautist Becky Shears and I appeared on Forest FM 92.3 with presenter Steve Saville.  We chatted and played some music live and from my CDs and it was a great opportunity to talk about what Good Friday means to Christians - and why Easter eggs should be hollow!   You can hear Forest FM online by clicking  here and on the right is a photo of Becky and I in the studio.

May - we were delighted to return to King's Somborne, this time at the Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul.  We had a great time of witness and worship and met some really welcoming Christians - thanks to Sue Holligan and the team! 

June - Becky Shears and I appeared on Wimborne Minster Green during the Wimborne Folk Festival.  This evening outreach event  also featured Holtwood Mission Band, Holtwood Puppets Group, Pete Emberley & Friends and a group from Bournemouth called Route 66 (there are 66 Books in the Bible - neat!)   It was hugely enjoyable and was certainly a challenging experience - but no-one ever said that outreach work was meant to be easy! 

On the left is a picture of Becky and I at the Wimborne Folk Festival, and pictures of the Holtwood Mission Band and the Holtwood Puppets are on the Holtwood Mission Band page.  You can see more photos from the evening by clicking here.   In June I was also in concert with Pete Lewington (keyboard) and Rob Vowles (bass) at St. Andrew's Church Hall in Kinson, Bournemouth for a regular meeting of the Disabled Christian Fellowship.  We were made to feel very welcome indeed and look forward to a return visit at some stage.  The Christian dedication of John Clift and his team was very clear to us!

July - Saturday 7th July saw the Holtwood Summer Fete in the sunshine - more details on the Hall fundraising page.  Also I was pleased to sing some songs at a garden party at Verwood Methodist Church which was in aid of the Friends of Vellore Christian Medical College and Hospital.  This 100 year old project in southern India offers surgery for those who otherwise would not receive it and also treats a staggering 3,500 out-patients a year in an extremely challenging environment.  You can visit the Vellore website by clicking here.  During 2007 Chessie Besant, a Holtwood Church member, gained work experience at Vellore Hospital during her Summer break from Aston University in Birmingham.

August - On the 2nd Becky Shears and I had a great time as the guests of Paul Woodland on Hope FM, a Christian radio station broadcasting from Bournemouth on 90.1 and worldwide on the internet.  We were on air for almost 2 hours, playing live and also featuring some CD tracks including a "world exclusive" preview from my forthcoming album - a song called "We've seen the Lord" which is about the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to "Doubting" Thomas.  You can hear Hope FM by clicking here    On the 11th it was good to sing a few songs in glorious weather at an East Dorset Community Partnership Fun Day at Leigh Park, Wimborne.  On the 14th I was the guest speaker (plus a few songs) at the monthly dinner of (big breath!)  "The Full Gospel Businessmens' Fellowship International Bournemouth Local Group" - in the words of the famous advert it does just what it says on the tin!  My special thanks go to Ryan for his infectious and enthusiastic support throughout my time there!  

September - What started out as to be a fairly quiet month ended up as anything but quiet!  On the music front I played at various barn dances including a field on the Isle of Wight, a lovely hotel overlooking the beach at Sandbanks, a school in Colehill, a village hall at West Parley and a harvest festival supper at the splendid Trinity Centre in Ringwood.  Added to these, HMB had a busy period plus, leading worship at a number of local churches.  

October - On 6th October I enjoyed "singing for my supper" at Verwood Methodist Church Harvest Supper - the food was great and the good folk of Verwood joined in well with the songs.  Thank you to the team who organised a the evening.  On Friday 26th October I was with HMB at Holt Village Hall providing a variety of entertainment for the 30th Anniversary of the Holt Skittles League - so that must mean that it's also 30 years ago that, as Holtwood Youth Club leader, I was part of the team that were the first winners of the league!  Also in October I started to write music for the Wimborne Community Theatre (WCT) production of  "Enquire Within" at Wimborne.

November - a busy month continuing to write and rehearse for the WCT production and the Horton Heath Christmas Advent-ure concert in December plus a few gigs and HMB engagements and mixing the new CD album by Adrian Bowyer of Verwood Community Church.

December - another busy month!  On the 1st I was pleased to contribute 3 songs at Horton Heath Methodist Church's "Christmas Advent-ure" concert which featured a wide variety of entertainment from the very young and the "not-quiet-so-young-these days!" - a great evening.   On the 6th, 7th & 8th I looked after the musical side of things for the WCT play "Enquire Within" presented in, and telling the story of, Allendale House in Wimborne which was directed by actor and writer Richard Conlon.  The perfect setting of Allendale House was further enhanced by Designer Miranda Hewitt-Williams.  I played the Workhouse choirmaster and the drummer for the Corn Law rioters who were masquerading as mummers - and also sang a few incidental songs to help carry the story forward.  For me it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with this hugely talented company.  On the 9th I appeared with Becky Shears at a Christmas Concert at Pelhams Community Centre, Kinson, Bournemouth - our thanks to Bob Gritt and his team for their dedication in putting the show together.  On the 16th, with my son Rob on 12 string guitar, it was good to be guests of Eddie Hams on his "Through the Gates" programme on Hope FM.  We were featured for over an hour - thanks Eddie for being so generous with the on-air time.  The week starting 17th December saw carol singing around the local settlements in Holt - always an enjoyable, if exhausting, time and a great opportunity to take just a little of the real Christmas message into our local community...... but not for me this year as I was confined to barracks with bronchitis!  But well done to Colin Besant and his small team of carollers.   On Boxing Day and New Year's Day lunchtimes I returned with Cottage Industry to acoustically (and gently!) entertain the guests at Moonfleet Manor, which is next to Chesil Beach in west Dorset.   On New Year's Eve I played guitar (with Becky Shears on flute & Bill Morgan on bass) to help to welcome 2008 in a Watchnight Service at Horton Heath Methodist Church.

2008

January - on the 18th I was in concert with HMB at Woodlands Methodist Church when the material was quite diverse, including Charles Causley's 1961 poem "Innocents' Song" set to music by Johnny Coppin, the old (and almost lost) Dorset "Gallery Carol", other more well known carols, popular songs from previous HMB Christmas presentations plus sketches and a couple of my songs.  A big achievement in January was completing the recording and mixing of Adrian Bowyer's debut CD of 11 really good, self-penned songs.  Adrian is from Verwood Family Church in Verwood - click here for more information. 

February - made real progress with writing and recording the new CD which probably will be called "We Can All be Free", the title of the opening track.

March - continued writing and recording for the new CD and it was a delight to run the sound system for a concert in Bournemouth by George Hamilton IV - the final night of his UK Easter Tour.  With Cottage Industry it was good to lead a ceilidh for the group "Christians against Poverty" where we met families from the Bradford area being given a West Country holiday break by the Group - Christians with a real mission to meet some of today's family needs and well worth supporting if you get the opportunity.  You can find out more by clicking here 

June - it will be good to play with HMB on the Minster Green during Wimborne Folk Festival on the evening of 14th June.  I'm looking forward to returning to the Bournemouth Christian Disabled Fellowship tea on Saturday 21st June where I'll be singing a few songs and telling a few stories and then, later that evening, presenting the prizes for the Holt Skittles League at Holt Village Hall.  On 28th June I'll be at a fundraising event in Bournemouth for Water Aid where I'll be playing guitar for two groups of singers and also contributing a song of my own. 

July - Saturday 5th July will be the second Holtwood Fete with special guests Forest FM 92.3 and I'll be one of the entertainers during the day.  Watch this space for more details but a number of guests have already been confirmed including Adrian Bowyer from Verwood Family Church and Wimborne Community Theatre.  At the fete we're planning to make full use of newly acquired land, known as Chapel Ground, adjoining the Methodist Church at Holtwood.

October - on Monday 20th October from 10.30 I'll be the guest at the Friends of Colehill Library Coffee Morning, chatting about my music and singing a song or three.  The session will be called  "Musical Memoirs and Milestones".

..... Otherwise (in my quieter moments!) I've been busy gigging with ceilidh bands Cottage Industry and Dotty Crochets, writing, arranging and recording other new material for the new CD, which will be released in 2008, and also recording CD projects for several clients - see the recording studio page for more details ....... phew!