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The First Ever Mustard Seed Concert celebrating the 90th Birthday of Mr Milliken – Mr Mill’s dad

“Heart and Soul” from album “Heart and Soul” featuring Mike Backhouse and the Mustard Seed Soul Band

I would visit Mr Milliken (Mr Mill’s dad) pretty regularly at his sheltered accommodation in Titchfield. We would pray together and I would sing him the latest song I had made up- he was always really encouraging but also always really honest (see blog April 17^th “Baptism.”)   I am not sure whose idea it was but on October 27^th 1998, Mr Milliken’s 90^th birthday, we held a special concert for him in Drama Room One of Crofton School. Lucy Stimpson sang and played piano – the audience was not the largest ever consisting  of just five people- Mr Milliken, Mr Mill, Mr Mill’s sister Joy and me.  It was a wonderful occasion with Lucy singing songs from our CD “I Look Up to the Heavens” plus some that had not yet been recorded.  It was the first of many concerts and musicals that Mustard Seeds have produced at places including Holy Rood Church, Stubbington- St Edmunds Church, Stubbington-  St Mary’s Church, Porchester-  Oasis  Church, Portsmouth-Hereford Cathedral, Hereford- Central Hall, Westminster-  Assembly Halls, Chichester- Ferneham Hall, Fareham -Theatre Royal, Portsmouth and King Theatre, Southsea.

Sometimes we would hold a concert to support a particular person, for example my good friend Roberta Cousins who is a missionary in Uganda. On other occasions it would be to promote a new CD such as “Love is the Way” or “Uplifted.”  The concerts were always headed by Lucy Stimpson, who by now had married David Maynard, and so had become Lucy Maynard- but for Mustard Seed Songs -Lucy Stimpson- Maynard.  We gradually added more musicians – Ross Gill, who later produced many of our albums, played acoustic guitar, Neil Elliott, Gaz Matthews and Andy Hertbertson,  bass, Ben Kennedy and Darren Lewis,  drums and later Matt Goffee,  trumpet. At one concert Matthew Sergeant played trombone (see blog Feb 13th“Encouragement”) The concerts also featured the Mustard Seed Girls Choir, who had been formed from the Crofton School  Choir taught by Lucy.

By this time Mustard Seed Songs was supporting young people who had taken time off from their studies to work voluntarily in the Third World.  Catherine Knight had been the first we had supported (see blog May 15^th) but now there were others such as her brother Tim working in Chile for Latin Link and Jez Field and Clare Townend working for Tearfund in Kenya (A future blog will tell the story of how James Townend, Clare’s brother, who had only just left Crofton, sang at this concert – he now sings the part of Thomas absolutely brilliantly in our musical Risen!)

I remember one Crofton girl asking if we could support her missionary work – the trouble was Lucy was pregnant with her first baby, Emily Rose, and so could not be part of a concert. By this time some of the girls from the Mustard Seed Girls Choir were in their late teens and were singing semi- professionally – Fiona and Nicola Poustie and Katherine Hands.  For the CD “Uplifted”  I had started to write some more upbeat songs influenced by the soul music I grew up loving and hearing at the Birdcage club (see blog Feb 6th)  So the time was now right to try a slightly new direction and Ross Gill produced, without Lucy,  our forth CD “Heart and Soul.”  On vocals were Nicola, Fiona, Kat and another ex- member of the Mustard Seed Girls’ Choir who was singing professionally – Katie Summer. Ross Gill was on guitar, Darren Lewis, drums, Chris Backhouse, keys and  Andy Herbertson,  bass. We also had guest vocalists Jassica Castillo- Burley and Mike Backhouse, Chris’ brother. Mike sang the title song “Heart and Soul” and, as he married Becky last weekend, I thought it would be nice to feature his song and of course wish them every  happiness together.

The “Heart and Soul” CD was first promoted at a Mustard Seed concert at The Oasis Centre in Arundel Street, Portsmouth.  We supported the charity founded by my great friend Mick Mellows – “Faith and Football.”  www.faithandfootball.org.uk/Fellow Faith and Football Director Pompey legend Linvoy Primas was seen dancing at the back and the compere was ex- Crofton student Jez Field, who we had supported when he worked for Tearfund in Kenya.  I thought Jez was a natural and sometime later asked him to play the role of John in our first musical “His Story.”  Although he’d had no acting training he was brilliant – but more of that later.

Focusing on concerts I have rushed ahead somewhat in my story and have omitted to say what happened when I ran out of pop songs to convert to Christian ones – however next week all will be revealed!