Upon This Rock

Photo by Flavio Gasparini on unsplash It's all happening folks. I just got back from the studio after a conversation with the Station Manager at CrossRhythms, and it's all systems go for a pilot programme for a new daytime show called Upon This Rock. Upon This Rock will be a one hour programme that exclusively features a CCM artist or band, including interviews, biography, history, insights, and of course several tracks from the said artist. I'm looking forward to producing and recording these shows, because I love talking to fellow musicians about what inspires them, how and why they write their songs, what 'performance' is all about, and life in general. There is quite a lot of research, writing, recording and editing to be done, but I'm going to be learning as I go and I know it will be great fun. I have some interesting and hopefully exciting and inspirational shows planned that will feature some of the brightest and best CCM artists of the current...

Keith, Sue and John in 1972 I have told this story before, but it bears repeating. I came to faith in early September 1973 after a day at the Bromyard Folk Festival where I heard a folk-rock trio called Parchment play. I can still remember the rich aroma of the trampled grass that had been baking all day under the warm canvas, as the hot late summer sun beat down upon the large marquee we were sat in. The stage was small, and rather make-shift, but the sound system was powerful, and the microphones on their stands glinted silver. Parchment came onto the stage, looking a little dishevelled and Bohemian, and also quite hairy - and performed a short set that included several of their new songs, but also the CCM classic Light Up The Fire. It was this song that hit me like a ton of bricks. The classic chorus is still sung in schools and churches all over the world today: 'Light up the fire, and let the flame burn. Open the door let Jesus return, take seeds of His Spirit and l...

Photo by Steve Wheeler I spent an interesting 15 minutes interviewing double MOBO Award winner and UK grime artist Guvna B yesterday, backstage at Creation Fest. Born in the East End docklands area of London to first generation Ghanian immigrants, he has seen a lot of trouble in his life. As he grew up he experienced poverty, violence, drug abuse and personal loss. These experiences became instrumental in his journey to faith. He now spends his time recording and performing his own music, a mix of rap, gospel, grime and hip hop styles. He's a busy man and very difficult man to get hold of (I failed to grab an interview with him at last year's event), and I had to be patient, but after some time loitering around the backstage,  and a few false starts, I finally got to record an interview with Guvna B for CrossRhythms Radio , and it will be aired in the next few days. I also recorded enough conversation with him to do a pilot show for the new Upon This Rock series I'...

Photo from Freestocks.org on unsplash I thought it was about time I wrote another post for this illustrious blog. It's been a while since my last post, and I don't want anyone to think I have neglected this space. As you know if you've read it previously, this blog is dedicated to Contemporary Christian Music or CCM, in all it's vast, complex and ever growing set of genres that celebrate Christian faith. If there is a new genre of music, you can guarantee that somewhere out there, there is a Christian analogue. And before you start to argue that all CCM does is echo the music of the mainstream, secular world, let me remind you that the roots of rock music and so many other genres of popular music today can be traced back to the old-time gospel music of the Christian church, especially the inspirational music emerging from among the first black communities in the United States. Yep, blues (especially jump blues), rhythm and blues, jazz and some would argue, even...

The first Contemporary Christian Music album I ever bought was by a group called 2nd Chapter of Acts. They were a sister/brother vocal trio - Annie, Matthew and Nellie - who had just begun to appear on the scene. Their first album - which I played and played until I nearly wore it out - was simply titled *With Footnotes, and yes, the asterisk was important. About three quarters of the back cover of the album is filled with the entire second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and the *footnotes section is directly underneath, where the tracks and credits are listed. A neat touch. The front of the album, which is predominantly green and yellow in its themes, show the three siblings grinning into the camera, and yes, they are unmistakably brother and sisters. *With Footnotes was released on the Myrrh label in 1974 and contained 11 tracks, all but one of which were written by Annie Herring . The producer of the album was Annie's husband Buck, and their master stroke was to enlist...

Unspoken is a very strong debut EP from Amongst Wolves. They're a four piece rock band I featured on this blog a few days ago and you can hear my interview with them at this link . Amongst Wolves can best be located within the alternative rock genre. If you like hard edged, grungy rock, you're going to love this EP - you can listen to some of the tracks at the link below. The opening track So Much More is so well written it will make you sit up and take notice. It's a raw edged rock anthem that exhorts people to question everything and seek for answers to life's questions. It starts with a crawling, Matt Bellamy inspired distorted guitar that morphs into a grungy backdrop for the lead vocals of Kariss Rees (who reminds me a little of Hayley Williams with a touch of plaintive edge from  Dolores O'Riordan ). Track 2 starts with a punk chant, and then transgresses into melodic, almost balladic rock. Bottles clearly opens up a dialogue about alcohol and substanc...