DVD of Risen! The Musical featuring the London Touring Cast, filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth.

“Be Set Free” featuring the Original Cast from the CD of Risen! The Musical recorded and produced by Joffy Girling

My dear friend and trustee of Mustard Seed Songs, Dr Graham Giles, MBE, has placed the newly released DVD of Risen! The Musical (www.risenthemusical.com) into the hands of prominent people in Romania, a country in which he has great influence being, amongst many things, Charity Director at Europa pentru Europa.

One person who received a DVD is Raymond Vancu, a nationally recognised pianist, singer and composer. One of his videos highlighting drug use and homelessness in his native land can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVJRPMlcH6U

After watching the Risen! The Musical DVD Raymond wrote this amazing testimonial:

I saw the musical… IT IS FABULOUS! Everything is fantastic: Music, Lyrics, Orchestrations, vocal interpretations, musicians, guys behind the stage… The entire concept of the show (choreography & light, etc…) fits perfectly with the message of the music. When I say this, I know exactly how HUGE the work is to make something like this… it takes months even years making so well such a live-production! Praise the Lord and God bless all the people who were involved in this amazing project…

Thank you for sharing with me this precious treasure… I hope in future to see RISEN! all over the world.  It will be a big gain as well, for Romanian people, to see this with subtitles…

Amazing! God bless you all!”
Raymond Vancu

 

I think the phrase “Watch this space” is in order!

 

I went to the first session at my church, Holy Rood on “God’s Strategy in Human History” – it was pretty challenging stuff – but one thought I came away with was that it is only in this life that we get the chance to trust God- there will be no need to trust Him in the next life because everything there will be perfect – it is in this life especially when things are going wrong that we get the chance to trust Him.

Also, and I suppose a post script to my previous blog comments on why does God allow suffering in the world is that God is good and good all the time but life is sometimes bad, and when life is sometimes bad that does not mean that God becomes bad- no He is always good- we just muddle God and life up.

More on that next week methinks.

“What More Could You Do Lord?” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Precious” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

All at Mustard Seed Songs hope you had a wonderful break and have a most prosperous 2017.

One of the things that worried me when I was thinking about becoming a Christian was what people would say. I was really concerned that people would call me a “Bible Basher” a “Jesus Freak,” “God Squader” etc. Stupid I know but I did feel there was a certain stereo typical image attached to Christians- and not exactly a cool one. That is one reason why I love it when I discover that seemingly cool people are Christian. In recent blogs I have highlighted in this category Usain Bolt, Jürgen Klopp, Bear Grylls, and the golfer Zach Johnson. I found another the other day – the Arsenal footballer Oliver Giroud who scored that amazing scorpion kick goal – not original though as Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan beat him to it a couple of days earlier. Anyway I noticed Oliver looking up to heaven after he scored and googled if he is a Christian and sure enough Wikipedia says:

Giroud is a Catholic and has a tattoo on his right arm from Psalm 23 in Latin: “Dominus regit me et nihil mihi deerit” (“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”). He describes himself as a “very believing person […] I don’t cross myself before my games but I do a little prayer.”

Not that impressed – okay what about our Queen- 90 years old and still Queen – surely that is cool? On Christmas Day Queen Elizabeth 11 said:

At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, did not think they were important.

Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life, and never travelled far. He was maligned and rejected by many, though he had done no wrong. And yet, billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christ’s example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.

The message of Christmas reminds us that inspiration is a gift to be given as well as received, and that love begins small but always grows.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Have you checked out our updated website which includes extracts from the latest DVD of Risen! The Musical www.risenthemusical.com ? Thank you.

First I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas. Second just to let you know that you can now purchase the brand new DVD of Risen! The Musical on- line by visiting www.risenthemusical.com

Risen! The Musical was filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth by Global Fire Creative (see blog of December Ist) and features the London Touring Cast who are ….. ..well please allow me to simply copy out the DVD credits as they also include all the wonderful technical crew, musicians, backing singers etc.

PJ, our brilliant Webmaster, myself and all at Mustard Seed Songs wish you a most happy and prosperous 2018.

Risen! The Musical

Produced by Mustard Seed Songs (registered charity no 1077618) www.mustardseedsongs.org.uk

Written by Ken Shearsmith

Music composed by Ken Shearsmith and Joffy Girling

Directed by Ennio Ficiur

Choreography by Jodie May Quirke

Filmed by Global Creative www.globalfirecreative.co.uk

The London Touring Company

Jesus – Max Panks

Mary Mother of Jesus- Caroline Wetherelt

Mary Magdalene- Jodie May Quirke

Mary wife of Clopas – Lindsey Sarah Jane Preston

Mary sister of Lazarus and Martha – Claire Hutchinson

Martha sister of Lazarus and Mary- Katie Forge

John-Andrew Dovaston

James- Johnny Fitzharris

Peter- Benny Bright

Thomas – David Murray

Matthew- Joshua Yeardley

Cleopas and Philip – Craig Kenneth Smith

Cleopas’ friend and Andrew – Casey Lloyd

Simon the Zealot – Jamie Leeke

Nathaniel – Aaron Peart

James son of Alpheus – Aaron Hayes

Thaddeus – Adam Collins

Judas – Ennio Ficiur

Voice for Introduction – Alexander Knox

Technical Director -Adam Kemp@ Technical Services Ltd

Technical Team –

Lee Willis – Zach North, Jane Collins, Pete Daynes, Darren Ison, Andy Longley

Stage Manager -Doug Johnson

Cameramen – Ross Gill, Sascha Tucker, Frazer Hughes, Sam Aruwa

DVD audio editing – Joffy Girling

DVD visual editing – Ross Gill

Backing tracks recording and production   – Joffy Girling

Backing musicians:

Keys- Joffy Girling

Guitar- Joffy Girling, Gareth Matthews

Bass- Gareth Matthews, Greg Taplin

Drums- Josh Eaves

Violin – Kirsty Robinson. Liz Peskett

Viola- Ruth McGibben

Cello- Fiona Murphy

Trumpet- Stuart Fowler

Tuba- Matthew Watling

Saxophone- Rob Richardson, Tim Downs,

Clarinet- Tim Downs

Flute – Rob Richardson

Backing track vocals:

Lindsey Sarah Jane Preston, Rebecca Davis, Kelcie Black, Aaron Peart, Oswald Addo, David Murray

Duplicated by Sound Performance

www.risenthemusical.com

 

 

 

 

“In The Beginning Was The Word”  from the album His Story recorded by Ross Gil

Being a teacher I obviously believe that teaching is of the utmost importance; apart from anything else it influences what we believe and what we believe affects what we do and how we behave. This is a massive area but I’ve been thinking of something in particular – how what we are taught affects the type of Christmas card we send. Now this may seem really petty but it may have more significance than one would first think.

There are cards that depict snowy winter scenes, presents around Christmas trees, Santa Claus and reindeers. Some are not really connected to Christmas at all (I had one of the face of a horse!) and of course there are the “religious ones” portraying the Nativity, the Angels, Shepherds and Wise Men. I would suggest that the majority of people who choose to send cards relating to the birth of Christ believe that this is the most important of the Christmas messages. So if beliefs surrounding Christmas are, indeed affected by what we are taught then from whom is the teaching received? The answer could be parents, other members of the family or friends. It could be the Church by way of, for example Sunday school. But what about those places which are specifically responsible for teaching – our schools?

In my job I visit Primary schools all over Hampshire and our diverse educational system always intrigues me. In 2011, about one third of the 20,000 state funded Primary schools in England were faith schools – approximately 7,000 in total, of which 68% were Church of England schools and 30% Roman Catholic.

When I walk into a faith school I am normally greeted with a Christian symbol such as a Cross or a large copy of the Lord’s Prayer. Immediately I can sense I am entering a learning environment in which teaching and learning will be based on Christian principles, with the birth of Jesus naturally central to Christmas celebrations. However in non -faith schools it would be politically incorrect and teachers could get into serious trouble if they say or do anything that could be interpreted as proselytizing.

So children in faith schools will still know all about snowy winter scenes, Santa and his reindeers and the importance of family but they will also be taught about Jesus, His birth at Christmas and His death and Resurrection at Easter. In non -faith schools, however children will know all about snowy winter scenes, Santa and his reindeers and the importance of family but they will hear no mention of Jesus – how sad, how very sad.

I appreciate the advantages of a diverse educational system but wonder if they are outweighed by the personal, social, emotional and spiritual experiences provided by schools underpinned by principles drawn from the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth? Teachings can, of course be rejected or accepted but it is surely important that children, in fact everyone, is given the opportunity to make informed decisions. I would suggest that making informed decisions relating to issues of faith is less likely for children attending non- faith schools. In addition which school a child attends seems to have little to do with choice but everything to do with the catchment area in which the child’s family lives.

This is one reason why I am so passionate about Risen! The Musical – if people don’t know the facts of Christ’s Resurrection then how can they make informed decisions as to whether or not to believe?

Anyway all at Mustard Seed Songs and Risen! The Musical wish you a most wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of God’s Son.

Reach out – put your hand in my side” From Risen! The Musical featuring The Original Cast – recorded and produced by Joffy Girling

“Reach out put your hand in my side” from Risen! The Musical featuring The London Touring Cast filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

Well the good news is that yesterday the long awaited 1500 DVDs of Risen! The Musical were delivered to my house. Some will be offered to schools and prisons but a number will be sold at £9.99 with the proceeds going to a charity which provides a safe house for street children in the Philippines, The House of the Heroes www.houseoftheheores.org and www.facebook.com/houseoftheheroes Its Founder is Craig Johnson who is co- director with Ross Gill of Global Fire Creative. It was Global Fire that filmed and edited the Risen! DVD so supporting their charity is a gesture of thanks from mustard seed songs.

There will be information next week on how to purchase the Risen! DVDs via our website but if you can’t wait (!!) please email me on ken@risenthemusical.com and I will give you details of how to purchase one at £9.99 plus 0.99p post and packing.

So that was the good news – the bad news is that we were unsuccessful with our submission to the Arts Council to fund a short UK tour of Risen! The Musical (see blogs September 15th, 22nd and 29th) The tour included performances in theatres in Birmingham, Eastleigh, Coventry, Cambridge, Portsmouth and Bristol. The cast were also to visit schools- performing extracts from Risen! and delivering workshops on musical theatre. Everything was booked so it is very disappointing; however we have not given up and are now looking for a private sponsor(s)

Finishing on a high note – today I am off to the London College of Music in Ealing to watch two performances of West Side Story – why two? Well in the Matinee, Tony is played by Adam Collins (stage name Harry Collins) and in the evening Tony is played by Aaron Peart (stage name Aaron Blackburn) Adam and Aaron both performed in the DVD of Risen! The Musical – Adam playing the disciple Thaddeus and Aaron the disciple Nathaniel.

Not sure where the expression “break a leg” comes from but “break a leg Aaron and Adam!”

Jurgen Klopp

I have supported Manchester United all my life and so have been most unhappy with the ways things have gone since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. The least said about the manner in which the present manager conducts himself the better. How much different Jurgen Klopp the manager of Liverpool. Now Liverpool have always been arch enemies of Man Utd but I have to say that with Mr Klopp as manager I would much prefer Liverpool to win the Championship than say Man City, Chelsea or Arsenal. Why -because Jurgen Klopp comes over as a warm, humorous, generous and likeable man.

Here is an extract from a newspaper article on him:

Jurgen Klopp is a popular figure in Germany because of his outspoken nature and the success he brought to former club Borussia Dortmund, where he won two league titles and got to the final of the European Champions League.

Car brand Opel has also credited him with turning around its fortunes in the country, saying his role as ambassador helped boost sales of its Insignia model by 35% in 2014.

He has even had pop songs written about him with eccentric media personality Matze Knop releasing a tribute titled ‘I Wanna Be Like Jurgen Klopp‘.

But what you might not know about him is that he is a committed Christian and is not afraid of making his faith known.

Prior to managing Borussia Dortmund, Klopp was in charge of another German club, Mainz, and after a defeat was known to have been asked by reporters if the ‘football god’ was against Mainz.

In an article about his faith, he wrote: ‘In order to answer this question once and for all: although there is no football God, I believe that there is a God who loves us humans, just as we are, with all our quirks, and that’s why I think he also loves football! But we have to score our own goals.’

But his piece for fussball-gott.com (soccer-god.com) gets deeper.

‘All of these really likeable guys who I meet week in week out at matches or in some cases even in training, have one thing in common: they have noticed at some stage in their careers that there must be more to life than championship and relegation battles.

‘They relate how a relationship with God has changed their perspective.’

In an age in which each successful new manager is praised for his novel ‘football philosophy’, Klopp is adamant that his faith is more important to him than the game.

In an interview with fr-online.de, he said: ‘To be a believer, but not to want to talk about it – I do not know how it would work! If anyone asks me about my faith, I give information. Not because I have claim to be any sort of missionary. But when I look at me and my life – and I take time for that every day – then I feel I am in sensationally good hands.

Sounds like sensationally good advice to me.

Father Help Me Acknowledge You – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

Enjoying Presecco before the cast screening of Risen! The Musical

On Sunday I travelled to the London College of Music in Ealing with my very good friend Dr Graham Giles MBE. We went to meet the cast of Risen! The Musical in order to watch, for the first time, the DVD of Risen! The Musical, filmed earlier this year at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth.

Global Fire Creative had most kindly taken on the enormous job of not only filming the one hour fifty minute show but also editing it. Well that is not entirely true, in fact the full burden of the visual edit fell on the shoulders of Ross Gill, a Global Fire Director and an ex Crofton student who for so long has been a integral part of Mustard Seed Songs. Ross played guitar and led the Mustard Seed Soul Band who featured in many Mustard Seed concerts and in our first musical His Story. He also recorded and produced numerous Mustard Seed CDs including the one dedicated to my mother “Precious.” Goodness knows how many hours Ross spent of his own personal time editing Risen! but the result is fabulous and we are very much in his debt. Thank you Ross!

The DVDs are about to be replicated through another ex- Crofton student, Tim Courtnell and should be available for purchase from December 17th via our website www.risenthemusical.com

The cast screening was a wonderful experience. There were over twenty members of the cast and technical team who, after enjoying a glass (or two) of Prosecco in the London College of Music bar, moved to another part of the building – the William Barry Theatre to watch the film.

Ross edited the visuals but Joffy Girling edited the audio- it was brilliant listening to the cast applaud one another’s performances and even more brilliant listening to their cries of joy when hearing the fabulous harmonies that Joffy had so skilfully mixed.

Yes it was a fantastic occasion and now we wait in anticipation for the DVDs to be produced and distributed so that others may enjoy hearing and seeing this life changing story of Christ’s Resurrection and how His followers’ lives were transformed.

“Do You Have Anything To Eat ” taken from the CD  “Risen! The Musical” featuring the Original Cast – recorded and produced by Joffy Girling

Alex Knox starring in the West End play “It Is Easy To Be Dead”

Family from the album Risen! The Musical featuring Alex Knox portraying the part of the disciple John recorded and produced by Joffy Girling

I am off to London in a minute to see Alex Knox star in a West End play entitled “It Is Easy To Be Dead.” Alex sang the part of the disciple John in the double album of Risen! The Musical. He also performed in the early Holy Rood Risen! concerts and stage production I thought it would nice to revisit the story of how we met, first told in the blog of August 21st 1014

When, at the age of nine  I moved from Gillingham in Kent to Portsmouth I went to the Northern Parade Junior Boys School. I have to say I did not like it at all – the teachers used the cane- something that I had not come across at all in the delightful Forge Lane Mixed School I attended in Gillingham.

Anyway one classroom teacher, Mr Thorpe was keen on amateur dramatics and each year would produce a show, usually one which he had written himself based on a Gilbert and Sullivan classic. I particularly remember “The Pirates of Portsmouth” in which I played a pirate “Mizzen Mast Martin”  (I’ll let you pick me out in the featured pic) The star was a guy called Martin Connor who was in my class and who had been one of the few people who had been nice to me when I first went to Northern Parade. Martin is stage centre in the pic with a hook for a right hand (only make believe!)

In those ancient times we had to sit the 11 + exam to determine whether you went on to Grammar School or Secondary Modern. In Portsmouth there was also a “half -way house” – the Portsmouth Technical High School.  Well to cut a long story short Martin and I found ourselves both at “The “halfway house”.  We were also in the same form, the infamous 1B.  Martin went on to become Head Boy – I did not.

I knew Martin had gone on from school to pursue a career in acting, but on leaving school I had lost contact with him. When I was looking to cast for the role of John I needed someone who could both act and sing. All of Risen! is sung and I particularly needed someone who was expert in  recitative as this  holds the storyline together. I decided to try to locate Martin to see if he was still in the world of acting so I googled his name (what else!) and there he was m Head of Acting at the Prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.  I knew it was the same Martin as there was a pic of him on the Guildhall’s website and he had not changed a bit. (spit!)

I emailed him and we met up at the “Coach and Horses” pub which is right opposite our old school. We talked and laughed non -stop for hours, picking up on all the old Tech School life as if it were yesterday. Anyway yes Martin did have someone in mind to play the part of John – Alex Knox. Alex had a degree in Music from Manchester University – he also had a Masters in Singing from Guildhall and was now taking the Guildhall’s Masters Acting Degree- he would be perfect. So I took the train up to London to meet him at the Guildhall. I sang Alex the John parts in one of the Guildhall’s studios, so I suppose it could be said that I have sung at the Guildhall School of Music and Theatre!  For a classical trained singer it would not have been normal to learn a part warbled by some PE teacher, but that is what happened and Alex has now played John brilliantly in three consecutive Risen! productions and, of course sings the part in our forthcoming Risen! CD. Alex has become a great friend  and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his amazing efforts for Risen!

Surely not I Rabbi!  Taken from Risen! The Musical featuring the London Touring Cast filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

“Out of the Depths” – featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album “Love is the Way” recorded and produced by  Bob Ross

One last extract from the series “God Is” in “The Word for Today” written by Bob and Debbie Gass and published by United Christian Broadcasters (UCB)

Have you ever wondered why nowhere else in the universe do we find water in any abundance except here on earth? To date all our telescopes and space travellers confirm that. Water, the amazing solvent, dissolves almost everything upon this earth except those that are life sustaining. This amazing liquid which we take for granted exists as ice, breaks ups rocks and produces soil. As snow it stores up water in the valley. As rain, it waters and cleanses the earth. As vapour, it provides moisture for much of the arable land on earth. It exists as cloud cover in just the right amount. If it had clouds like Venus, the earth could not support life. But we have exactly 50% of the surface of the earth covered by clouds at any one time, allowing just the right amount of sunlight to filter through. As steam, for centuries water has run some of the most powerful machinery we have. Other than bismuth it is the only liquid heavier at four degrees Celsius than it is at freezing. If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist on this planet. Therefore when it freezes it is lighter and it rises. If this was not the case our lakes and rivers would freeze from the bottom up and kill all the fish: the algae would be destroyed, oxygen supply would cease and mankind would die. So when you think God doesn’t notice you or care about you (or when you think there is a conflict between science and Christianity – my insertion) drink a glass or water and say Thank you God!

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow” from Risen! The Musical featuring The London Touring Cast filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

Still in Tears featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the albums Uplifted and His Story recorded by Bob Ross

This week I have another extract from the series “God Is” in “The Word for Today” written by Bob and Debbie Gass and published by United Christian Broadcasters (UCB)

Let’s look at another miracle of God’s creative genius; the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen is extremely inert- if it wasn’t we would all be poisoned by different forms of nitrous combinations. However because of its inertness, it’s impossible for us to get nitrogen to combine naturally with other things. But it’s definitely needed for plants in the ground, so what provision does God make for getting it out of the air and into the soil? Lighting! A hundred thousand lightning bolts strike our planet daily, creating a hundred million tons of useable nitrogen plant food in the soil every year.

Forty miles up there is a thin layer of ozone. If compressed it would be only a quarter of an inch thick, yet without it life would not be sustainable. Eight killer rays continually fall on our planet from the sun; without ozone we would be burned, blinded or boiled. The ultraviolet waves come in two forms; longer rays which are deadly and are screened out and shorter rays which are necessary for life on earth and are administered through the ozone layer. Furthermore, the most deadly of these rays are allowed through the ozone layer in a very limited amount, just enough to kill the green algae which otherwise would grow to fill the lakes, rivers and oceans of the world, No doubt about it we are totally dependent on God’s goodness.

Should soon have news of the new DVD of Risen! The Musical filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth.