October 2009 Vol. 18.12
Table of contents
Editorial
THE HOT GOSPEL COMMUNITY CHOIR is on its way to becoming a truly amazing gospel choir. The choir holds a maximum of 25 members and they have performed their brand of inspirational music at some of the most prestigious events in the region: the Wilberforce celebrations, Whitby Gospel Music Festival, City Hall, Hull The Hull freedom festival Dove House light a candle concert, to name but a few. The choir are non profit making and have raised thousands of pounds for charity over the years and continue to make this their focus. They are also recording an album in January
The choir were established in 2003 when five of the member got together in East Yorkshire to sing gospel songs. From there it has grown to what it is today and is still gathering many fans and followers. The group now meet in Hull to ring their praises and polish their performance and join the many polished gospel choir around the country including Last choir standing performer ACM Gospel Choir London Community Gospel Choir the Voices of Praise
The choirs' rehearsals and audition venue is St Johns Community Project, Rosemad Street They rehearse every Thursday from 7.30 till 10.00 and are particularly looking for more male tenors. To arrange an audition, please contact mom@hotgospel.co.uk or tel 07531 953959.
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APPLETREE STUDIOS
24 Track Digital/ 16 track Analogue. Digital editing, mastering and duplication facilities. Tel: 01844 237916.
www.appletreestudios.com
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CROSS RHYTHMS
Radio, Festival, and more! Probably the UK's biggest CCM Resource & Information Centre
www.crossrhythms.co.uk
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DIVERSITY MUSIC - Manchester
Independent Christian recording & music publishing.
Tel:01254 777380 bt@hismusic.co.uk
www.hismusic.co.uk
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ESSENTIAL CHRISTIAN.COM
Great value Christian music, teaching and AV Resources.
Subscribe now and get 10% off your first order.
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ETERNAL SOUND &LIGHT, HULL.
Available for your event
PA (upto 2k), Lights & FX.
Church Services, concerts, theatre, disco.
Contact: Paul Ganney Tel:01482 212216
www.ganney.net/esl.htm
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FIERCE!
Buy Christian music & exclusive clothing online. Great prices and free UK delivery.
www.fierceshop.com
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ICC STUDIOS
Two high quality recording facility in a peaceful setting just off Eastbourne's seafront.
SSL AW900 desk, Protools Accell, Otan Radar II, 2" analogue with Dolby SR, Vintage mics & outboard gear, self-catering apartment. Bookings Manager: Neil Costello.
info@iccstudios.co.uk www.iccstudios.co.uk
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INTEGRITY MUSIC
For the latest in worship, contemporary and gospel music from Integrity, Provident, Essential, Gospo Centric, Verity and much more visit www.integrityeurope.com
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MUSICWIRE
All the best in Contemporary Christian Music - up to 35% discount off the rrp - FREE UK delivery - Digital Download Store coming soon! www.musicwire.co.uk
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NEW CHRISTIAN MUSIC
NCM PROMO-DISC is Christian music performers' own platform to get their music out to 500 radio stations and key media people (in the UK, Europe and beyond) on a monthly basis. www.newchristianmusic.co.uk
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PHOTOGRAPHY
www.markpierce-photography.co.uk
Yorkshire based freelance photographer with a contemporary style.
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REVELATOR
Invest in good Design - web; print; photography
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STOMPBOX STUDIOS - YORK
www.stompboxstudios.co.uk
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TOLLBOOTH MUSIC - DONCASTER
Digital multi-track recording & production studio.
www.tollboothmusic.com
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NEVER FOR NOTHING is published by GEOFF HOWLETT
E-Mail the Editor
NEVER FOR NOTHING is a faith ministry and gratefully acknowledges gifts of support.
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The Happening
Legendary recording artist JOHN SCHLITT-solo artist, lead singer for Grammy Award-winning Christian band Petra and former lead singer for mainstream rock band Head East-has been named the best rock singer in Christian music history by GospelMusicChannel.com. Senior music editor Andy Argyrakis selected Schlitt for the top position, identifying the best ten rock singers in terms of undeniable talent, vocal ability and indelible impact upon generations past and present. "I'm very surprised, but very honored," said Schlitt upon learning of the announcement. "To be considered first among talent such as Kevin Max and Michael Sweet is truly an honor."
New Wine's TRENT band, are set to release a live DVD through Vineyard Records UK. The project, filmed at Trent Vineyard before 800 worshippers, will feature such songs as "Perfect Sacrifice", "Shine On" and "I Will Hold On"
With DELIRIOUS? set to make the History Makers: Farewell Tour in November (kicking off in Belfast on 24th and concluding in London on 29th), Fierce! Distribution are releasing a final album. 'History Makers: The Greatest Hits' CD will be available from 2nd November.
Bethlehem College, New Zealand band, A KISS GOODBYE, is ranked number 18 on the top 20 bands viewed in the North Island on social networking website, MySpace. The band; Rory Malone (lead vocals and guitar), Conar Johnston (lead guitar and vocals), Luke Gilling (bass) and Jared Bartlett (drums), came third in the Bay of Plenty regional finals of the 2009 Smokefreerockquest, and now find themselves in some illustrious company. A Kiss Goodbye is one of the hardest gigging young bands in New Zealand; racking up 56 gigs last year, including support for Panic at the Disco, and this year playing support gigs for Fall Out Boy, Goodnight Nurse and Midnight Youth.
Months before the date, and the last ever live show from DELIRIOUS? has already sold out. Tickets for the November 29th date at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo have been going fast ever since they went on sale last month, but now they've all gone. There are still tickets available for the other five dates on the tour - but they're all shifting out the door faster than a Stu G solo. Of course there really can't be much surprise about the fact that there are so many people wanting to catch the final chords of the Delirious symphony. With so many years, so many albums, so many gigs, so many stories and so much history behind them, this final tour from Delirious is the very stuff that golden memories are made of; the final lines of an incredible story. Details about tickets for the final gigs can be found on www.delirious.co.uk or www.gigantic.com
Deacon Blue singers Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross (McINTOSH ROSS) will have their debut single "All My Trust I Place In You" released by Cooking Vinyl on 21st September. The album 'Great Lakes' follows one week later. The duo will be touring the UK in November.
KINGSWAY RELEASES
For 25 years Mission Praise's unique blend of old and new has met the needs of churches of all denominations and sizes, in the UK and around the world. This 3 CD set contains 50 songs to accompany the 25th Anniversary edition complete songbook - the best selling collection of songs and hymns - with more than a hundred of the best new songs from the past few years added to the tried and trusted collection that has already sold over 2.5 million copies....Bands are not just about music - they are about communication. The challenge is to find a way to make what was a Victorian, working class entertainment a method of attracting attention so that the message of the Gospel may be conveyed effectively. Steve Hanover's aim as Bandmaster of the REGENT HALL SALVATION ARMY BAND is to see the Band continue on its path of finding innovative methods of communication in the programmes and to maintain its flexibility and usefulness in many different environments. Here, here succeeds on 'Song's of Praise'.....THE KING's CHAMBER ORCHESTRA release 'Christmas String Heaven'. Directed and produced by Gerard Le Feuvre, this is a remarkable recording; part classic Christmas hymns, part contemporary worship, part luscious scores, part improvised arrangements. But running throughout are the trademark King's Chamber Orchestra traits of integrity, intimacy and incredible power....TOM HOWARD's 'Piano Christmas' is the sort of album that makes you wish you could play this way. One piano, fifteen songs yet a whole world of possibilities, tones and textures. The renowned Nashville-based pianist, composer and arranger unlocks the secrets and upgrades the impact of timeless classics like 'Silent Night', 'Joy To The World', 'Carol Of The Bells' and 'O Come All Ye Faithful'. Every track emerges refreshed and re-inspired.....Schooled in both the art and science of leading worship at Hillsong church - in her native Australia - MIRIAM WEBSTER is a worship leader, songwriter and writer with a wealth of experience and wisdom. 'Made Me Glad' shines with the light of truth, insight and devotion.
UK songwriter, HOWARD DOBSON, has just released an EP of tried-and-tested worship songs called 'I Just Want to Worship You', which is available on iTunes and Amazon, as Songs of Worship by Howard Dobson. They are performed by Stuart Menzies Farrant. In another move, Howard has also set up a Facebook group called Getting Christian artists in the singles charts. Basically if 3,000 sign up to it with a commitment to buying a 79p iTunes track in the same week a few times a year, there's a chance a top Christian artist can get a higher profile for what they do via a chart position. The tracks and dates will be announced once the members are in place! Songs will be auditioned in the meantime.
'Hymns and Harmony' is the title of a new album, released by MICHAEL HARCUS, featuring old time gospel songs. The album contains such evergreens as "It Is No Secret" and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken".
Lincoln's dB STUDIOS are holding two days on 26th September and 21st November when songwriters can showcase their songs and have their material professionally critiqued. The cost for each day is £35.00 and £60.00 for both with each day featuring a keynote speaker with experience in songwriting. www.db-studios.co.uk
Warrington-based singer/songwriter SHELL is set to release her Authentic Music, 'Beautiful Life' album this month. It includes the much talked about track, "Don't Take Your Clothes Off", which features a rap from thebandwithnoname's Chip K.
JEAN WATSON has released a new album. 'Everything Can Change' was produced by Dove Award winner Don Koch and features the strings of the City Of Prague Philharmonic.
INTEGRITY-PROVIDENT tell us that 'Worship And Adore: A Christmas Offering', is being released this month. The project features contributions from Ireland's Kathryn Scott, Britain's Vicky Beeching and America's Paul Baloche, Kari Jobe, Lincoln Brewster, Jared Anderson and others.
YVONNE LYON will have her latest album 'Ashes & Gold' released independently in October. The project was produced at the Foundry Music Lab by Graeme Duffin and Sandy Jones and features contributions from Gareth Davies Jones and husband David Lyon.
Survivor Records are delighted to announce a fresh signing: CATHY BURTON. No stranger to either Survivor personnel or the church across the UK, Cathy's arrival on the roster is as timely as it is exciting. Cathy Burton's musical career has never been a stranger to fresh expressions, new beginnings and divinely inspired truth. Whether as a solo artist and festival favourite or as a co-writer with mainstream appeal, Cathy has never found herself in a rut. And now, with the announcement of Cathy signing with Survivor records and a planned release for January 2010, there begins another act, a fresh birth of new songs and revelation. According to Adrian Thompson, Survivor Records A&R, Cathy's arrival makes perfect sense: "Cathy is someone whom I have known for a long time, and I've always been a supporter of her music even though the time never seemed to be right to work with her. Now, with Cathy's change of focus in her writing and her strong involvement in worship at Grace Church Chichester the timing is undeniably right. These new songs bring a fresh quality to corporate worship songs, and from the moment I sat in the studio and Cathy played songs like 'Redeemer' and 'Jesus You Are The Way' I knew these were songs that we would love to hear the church sing."
Worship leader CHRIS TOMLIN has always wanted to do a Christmas record. "It's a time when people who may not have sung a song the whole year, or their entire life, begin to sing," he says. "There is something about a Christmas song, whether it's sung at church or heard by carollers on the street, that gets people to join in song. They sing the songs proclaiming that God has come, has entered this world and made a way for us." This is the spirit that Tomlin wanted to capture with the recording of Glory In The Highest, his brand new album. Produced by Ed Cash, 'Glory In The Highest' features familiar classics including 'Angels We Have Heard On High', 'O, Holy Night', 'Joy to the World [Unspeakable Joy]', to which Tomlin wrote a new refrain, and four new songs that will be Christmas favourites for years to come. With special guests Matt Redman, Christy Nockels and singer/songwriter, Audrey Assad, the album succeeds in its purpose of transforming familiar carols into songs of worship.
GMA Dove winners and former MSN "Artist of the Year" DAVID CROWDER BAND release their fifth studio album, 'Church Music'. Aptly titled, the band hopes their self-produced recording will prompt listeners to recognise the continual evolvement of music within the church as well as transport them into an awareness that we exist within the very presence of God, therefore allowing Church Music to happen anywhere.
EMMA PEARS says that she has been invited to write for a couple of exciting new artists and has also been approached to have some of her songs adapted into Spanish for the Latin American market. This invitation came as a surprise, but in the same week she was also asked to consider one of the same songs being adapted into Italian.
RED HURLEY, who has spent over 140 weeks on the Irish charts, has his album 'How Great Thou Art' released by Kingsway Music in October. The release follows Terry Wogan playing Hurley's rendition of the popular hymn on his Radio 2 breakfast show and being inundated with emails from listeners. Other tracks on the album include "Amazing Grace", "You'll Never Walk Alone" and Dolly Parton's "Hello God"
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Gig Guide
The NFN Gig Guide is on a page of it's own.
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The Reviews Zone
With grateful acknowledgement to: AUTHENTIC, ELEVATION, EMICMG, FIERCE,INTEGRITY/PROVIDENT, KINGSWAY, McCAIN, ROSETTE, SURVIVOR & VERITY MEDIA ORGANISATIONS.
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
ALL STAR UNITED : The Good Album. (Fierce! Distribution : FIERCD47)
I must admit to looking forward to this album. Over the last 10 years, Ian Eskelin has written some really good songs, and the band play them to the max. This is their 5th album, asking questions that need to be aired. Love, commitment, humility…they all come under the lyrical microscope. The Brit-pop "Surface of the Sun' opens things up, and it has some great, swirling guitar sounds as the gang tell of a "love revolution". There have been many songs over the year's to tell of someone standing on the edge as they decide whether of not to follow Christ, 'Is This the moment' must rank of one of the best. It's so personal, and I found myself remembering that time in my life. 'Once Again, With Feeling' is more medium paced and I loved the line that said "open our broken hearts with feeling", - let's really mean It! Two songs that deal with growing up are the wonderfully titled 'Dude, That Freaking Awesome!' and 'Good Luck With the Girls'. The former looks at late teenage or early college years, full of wild party's and too much drinking, while the latter has a sideways swipe on the male mid-life crisis, and still trying to act like a 21 year old. It's great rock/pop music from start to finish. The minor moan is that the whole thing only lasts 35 minutes long, and I wanted more. Never mind 'The Good Album', this is fantastic! 10/10.
!AUDACIOUS : Mighty. (Integrity : 99892)
How do you capture a moment? Well, according to Senior Leader, Glynn Barrett, "In 2009, we captured the moment when the !Audacious band led !Audacious City Church (Manchester) in passionate praise and worship." I wasn't aware that this particular church was so big, so I was surprised when I received a recording, backed by Integrity. In a way, albums like these make me feel rather old now, as I don't remember praise and worship being so loud or rocky. There's the usual driving guitars and stomping beat on songs like 'God you Are' and 'Made Alive', and a great guitar solo in the middle of 'My All In All'. The female vocals on 'All That I Need' get rather lost in the mix, but the first four songs certainly give out lots of energy. There are some great times for slightly quieter collective worship on 'You Alone Are God' and 'Breathe On Me', but the pace doesn't slow for long. Songwriters like Matt Hill and Joel Weaver seem to contribute a hefty amount to the tracks, but I can imagine a lot of jumping up and down and thumping the air to Dave Adam's 'Deeper'. Those gathered certainly seem to be enjoying their experience and, listening, I just had to turn things down a bit. Old age? Probably. 8/10.
MARK TEDDER & THE WORSHIPLANET BAND : The Door - Live Worship from Beijing, China. (Integrity : 845121000436)
Hats off to Mark Tedder. Not only did he go to China to make this epic recording, he actually took his wife and lived in Beijing for two years, whilst organising the event! Born in Arkansas, this Spring Harvest regular gathered musicians from all around the world to play alongside Chinese musicians, complete with ethnic instruments. The music starts with a rousing song called 'Tomorrow'. Everyone joins in, and it's an easy chorus to pick up. I found this to be a bit of a false dawn, as the tracks became a little too pedestrian in beat, and fairly uninteresting. However, if you feel the same as me, watch the accompanying DVD of the live concert, and the same songs suddenll have new life. 'Falling' is about falling in love with Jesus, while 'More of You' offers the listener a real peace, and a time to get close to God. This is the first ever live worship album to be recorded in mainland China, and it's proved to be successful. But, for me, if it hadn't been for that DVD, the rating might well have been quite low. 7/10.
BANDWITHNONAME : Dying to Be There. (ICC Records : ICC1283A)
This is a package containing both a CD and a DVD, although to be honest I didn't find much of any interest on the DVD. There's a couple of music video's, a few interviews and some outtakes, plus the obligatory "Making of". The CD is a kind of fusion of rock music and rap, which was ok for a
couple of tracks, but after that it got a bit monotonous, It's almost as if the band aren't able to decide which style they want to play, and I'm afraid that after a while, I found myself "dying for them to be there" too. I reckon that this is one of those bands that you either like or you don't, but there just wasn't enough variation in the music for me. Every now and
then there was a nice intro to get your hopes up, but then as soon as the song got going normal service was resumed. I'm sure a lot of people out there who like this band, and will find this to be a really good buy, but it doesn't do it for me I'm afraid. 5/10 Andy Sayner.
PHILIPPA HANNA : Taste. (Resound Media)
Here's a young lady, I'm afraid to say, I'd never heard of, when the CD came through my letter box. I immediately thought "here comes another American artist that we'll never hear of again". WRONG! Philippa is, in fact, from Sheffield, and has already had critical acclaim for her previous independent release "Watching Me". This album sees Philippa write or co-write practically all of the songs, so she's certainly no "dumb blonde". The songs look at relationships, in the main, and she sounds a little like Kim Boyce used to, back in the late 80's. 'He'll Love Me' is one of the strongest tracks, with it's slick, light pop arrangement. She warns of the dangers that can come in a romance without substance on 'Summer Bride', while 'Work in Progress' is a realisation that none of us are perfect, and while we may fall, God will pick us up, dust us down, and let us try again. I thought that the sound got a bit a bit messy, production wise, mid-album, but things pick up again with radio friendly songs like 'Changing My Mind' and 'Predictable'. Philippa has a great voice and I can see her music going down well with a wide age range. 7/10
VARIOUS : Celtic Worship. (Kingsway : KMCD2946)
I've got to admit that a 3 CD collection of Celtic worship wouldn't be first on my list of albums to listen too. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this release of just how much I did enjoy it! 50 songs, old and new, that have been given the Celtic treatment, and sung by numerous vocalists such as John Nuttall, David Lyle Morris and Liz Fitzgibbon. I've got to say that each time I listened to this album, I listened in "instalments". I found the songs very relaxing and ideal for meditation. There's a nice version of Sammy Horner's 'May Your Life in This World', as well as the lovely sounding 'I Will Never Be the Same', written by Ian Hannah. Marie Barnett's 'This is the Air That I Breathe' is simply breathtaking - a song that I had never heard before. 'My Times Are in Your Hands' is performed with just a piano accompaniment, while also on offer is a sweet version of 'I Will Offer Up My Life'. On the whole, then, plenty of songs for you to dip in and out of, when the mood takes you, and the ideal tool for some personal worship. 9/10
VARIOUS : Worship:Medley. (Kingsway : KMCD2947)
I wasn't expecting too much of this 2 disc set as I slotted CD1 into the player. There are so many attempts to sell successive worship releases as 'new' and 'different' with the results often disappointing, that the 'unique selling point' of mini-medleys didn't really sound too appealing. I was largely wrong however. Here we have fourteen tracks, each containing two or three songs seamlessly joined together, with the medleys mostly well chosen both musically and content-wise. The tracks are specially done studio recordings - recorded and mixed by Andy Green in Manchester, Leeds and Seattle. Vocalists are Andy Green, Ingrid DuMosch, Brent Miller, Wendy Green and Tim Light and there is occasional and appropriate use of a 'congregation' (Bury Christian Fellowship) in the background. Disc 1 features my two favourite tracks of the set i.e. 'Because of your love'/'Hosanna' and 'In every day that dawns'/May I sing/Draw me close to You'. Other standouts for me are 'How great is our God'/'God of wonders', 'Lord you have my heart'/'To be in your presence' and 'I cannot tell'/'Holy holy holy'/'All hail the Lamb'. There is nice variety here with arrangements mostly inventive and 'musical', and production and sound quality are good except for a somewhat over-processed autotuning digital 'edge' to many of the male vocals. Altogether, quite an enjoyable release. Tracks can be sampled via www.missionworship.com. 7/10. Dave Deeks
PORTLAND : These Broken Hands. (The Stereo Tree : 8204782)
This is the Midlands based trio who have made a splash in the mainstream, with regular airplay on radio stations such as BBC Radio 2. Husband and wife, Rory and Sarah Thompson are joined by Paul Meadows with a style that can best be described as Folk/Pop. I've got to admit, that the first listen left me wondering what all the fuss was about, as I Found it very bland and non-descript. However, I persevered, and found the songs becoming more pleasant on subsequent hearing. Sarah has a voice that, sometimes, sounds like Joss Stone, and she's at her best on the song 'The Letter', which tells of the crucifixion. The single, 'Tonight' is quite good but the stand out track for me is the war tinged 'Talk to Me'. Despite the subject matter, it was the first song that I wanted to "play again". Instrumentation is very simple and un-cluttered throughout and this works especially well on 'Believe in You'. I'm still not blown away by this release, but it's growing on me. 6/10.
RYAN DELMORE : The Spirit the Water and the Blood. (ICC/Vineyard : ICC1280D)
Ever since the late 90s, Vineyard have been pushing the boundaries of CCM. However, many have tried to emulate that sound with the result that we have a plethora of clones and soundalikes. This album, thankfully, is most certainly not one of them. Really, I should hate this album. Ryan's drawling, melancholic vocals would normally be a turnoff and sometimes, the guitarwork sounds like it was played by someone with 5 thumbs. But actually, this is one fantastic, creative and edgy album. I love the raw honesty in it. I love the fact that it is interesting. It draws me in and makes me want to listen. From the moody opener "Mercy" to the Southern Rock inspired "The World Can't Take it Away" there is real sense of God's grace and love and it's captured in a unique way. So this one, for me, is by far the best cd I've heard in a long time. 10/10 Robin Thompson
DISAGREE WITH THE REVIEWS?
Write & tell me!
e-mail geoff@geoffhowlett.co.uk
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Prayer Table
Hull's HOT GOSPEL CHOIR are looking for male tenors to join them. Please pray that the right people will come forward.
THE DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF NFN IS:
20TH OCTOBER 2009
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