We hope you have had a very happy Christmas and will have a most prosperous New Year.

I recently viewed the featured video of Lucy Stimpson- Maynard on Facebook and so many wonderful memoires of our recording together came flooding back- so I have looked back on some of my blogs from four years ago in order to have a bit of a  reminisce:.

When sometime in late 1997 I read in the Holy Rood Church notice sheet that there was to be a worship seminar in Winchester, led by Brian Doerksen,  I had that “feeling” inside that made me know that this was something I was meant to attend.  One of the many songs that Brian had written was “More than Oxygen” which had been played at the service in which I was baptised Brian is from Canada so I knew the opportunities to attend one of his Seminars would be few and far between.

So I went on my own to Winchester – which of course I knew pretty well having been to Teaching Training College there- to a church (now Winchester Family Church) housed in what had been a Cinema.  I have to say I was not entirely comfortable with all the hand raising and that is about all I can remember from the evening apart from the important fact that I thought – “I wonder if my pop songs could become Christian songs – perhaps that is why it was intended that I came to this Worship Seminar? “

So I went home and started “converting” the lyrics of my pop songs to Christian lyrics. For some songs this was relatively easy – only needing for example to change “baby” to “Lord!” For others it was not so simple, for example “Don’t Lose Sight Of My Shore” became “Father Help Me Acknowledge You”.

So I went to see John Hodgkinson the science teacher at Crofton School where I was Head of PE and told him that I wanted to do some recording again. He was fine about that – however I now had to tell him that the songs to be recorded were no longer straight pop songs, with a view to making us money, but Christian songs.   For some reason I was embarrassed about this and mumbled “John, the words have changed.”  John replied “Why, the words are fine.”  “Yes John but now they are Chris………. words” I did not actually say the word Christian as I had my hand over my mouth so just a muffled “Chris …” came out.  About three times this happened before John could hear the word “Christian.” “That’s fine” he reassured me – so there had been no need for me to be embarrassed at all.

Next thing was to find a singer-I had just heard at the School Prom karaoke Lucy Stimpson the new Crofton music teacher sing  the Joe Cocker version of the Beatles’ song “With a little help from my friends” and knew that “she was the one.” So next day I ventured over to the music department armed with my cassette of “Don’t Lose Sight Of My Shore.”  After hearing it Lucy said that she would love to record it but why as the previous recording was great. “Ah yes Lucy” I hesitantly explained “But the words have changed.”  “Why, they are great words” insisted Lucy.  “Thanks, but they are now “Chris……. words” I burbled with hand over mouth.  After the regulation three “Chris’s …..” the word Christian came out to which Lucy replied “That’s great I am a Christian.” What no way -this was going too well – what about all the micky taking I was expecting?

I also found out that Lucy, not only had a beautiful voice, but also played piano brilliantly. Also  that she could play either by reading music  or by ear – and as there was no way that I could ever produce written music Lucy being able to play by ear was just perfect!

So the first CD was born- “ I Look Up To The Heavens.”  We then recorded “Love is the Way” “Uplifted” “Where Would I Be Without You” and “Precious” (which was in tribute to my mum) We also did numerous  concerns together including a performance at Hereford Cathedral. In addition Lucy starred in Mustard Seed’s musical “His Story which was performed at the Theatre Royal, Portsmouth, the Kings Theatre, Southsea and Central Hall, Westminster, London.

 It became more difficult for Lucy and me to record together after she moved to Cambridge and Mustard Seed Songs became focused on musical theatre. However I will always treasure all the wonderful times Lucy and I shared… and you never know there may still be more to come!

Quote of the week:

I would rather fail in the cause that ultimately will triumph rather than triumph in the cause that ultimately will fail.

Woodrow Wilson in Every Day With Jesus

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