Upon This Rock

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...

An artist I really enjoyed sitting down to talk with at Creation Fest 2018 was British singer songwriter Philippa Hanna  (pictured left). The interview was played out on CrossRhythms Radio Plymouth the following day and you can hear it again below. She is a contemporary Christian artist who refuses to fall neatly into any one specific music category. She has written songs in a number of styles including roots, folk, blues and soul, and some may even detect a tinge of R and B. Born in Barnsley in 1984, Hanna's first public performance was in 2007, and since then she has released five solo albums, all as an unsigned independent artist. Her funding often comes from crowdsourcing. She has played over one thousand concerts, touring with the likes of Anastasia, Little Mix , Leona Lewis, Scottish pop legends Wet Wet Wet , Rebecca Ferguson, Blue, and yep - she has even 'danced on the ceiling' with a certain  Lionel Richie . Click on the red arrow below to hear the interview...