Yep, its another Britain’s Got Talent/ America’s Got Talent clip – but this is so, so good, I just had to share it. And, of course Richard Goodall’s brilliant rendition has created interest again in the 80s original – here are some details of Journey’s classic “Don’t Stop Believing.”
By 1980, the Californian rock outfit “Journey” was on its way to becoming one of the most successful acts of the era. After discarding its roots in progressive rock, the group hired vocalist Steve Perry and smoothed out its sound. The band had notched several domestic top-25 hits with “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'” and “Any Way You Want It”. Original keyboardist Gregg Rolie, with the group since its progressive days, amicably departed in 1980, leaving the foursome without one of its signature elements. Rolie recommended the band invite Jonathan Cain of British rockers the Babys to be his permanent replacement, who accepted and joined the band as it prepared to record its next album, Escape (1981).
To prepare for writing its next effort, Journey rented a warehouse in Oakland, California, where they worked daily to complete arrangements and develop new ideas. Cain came up with the song’s title and hook; it stemmed from something his father frequently told him when he was a struggling musician living on Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard. Cain was unsuccessful and ready to give up, and each time he would call home in despair, his father would tell him, “Don’t stop believing or you’re done, dude.”[5] Guitarist Neil Schon invented the song’s distinctive bass line, and Perry suggested Cain write a driving synthesizer piece to complement that bass line. Drummer Steve Smith added a standard rock backbeat behind that, and instructed Schon to play 16th note arpeggios over the rest of the instrumentation, as though he were a “train” guiding the song in its direction.[6]
Jonathan Cain, the band’s newest member, developed the song’s title.
This motif lyrically inspired the song as well. Cain and Perry thought the imagery brought to mind a story of two people leaving behind past lives in their hometown and boarding a midnight train to anywhere else. Perry liked the concept that the characters be a girl from a small town and a boy raised in the city. “We felt that every young person has a dream and sometimes where you grow up isn’t where you’re destined to be,” Cain said. They copied the day’s progress to cassette tapes and took them home for further review. Smith felt a regular rock beat wouldn’t suit the entire song, so he supplemented it with melodic, syncopated additions on the tom-toms and ride cymbal bell, increasing its complexity as the song builds. The song was built backwards, as the title hook were the only lyrics the band had developed initially.[6]
The band recorded the song at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. Perry had a cold on the day of recording and was unable to make it, so its instrumental was tracked without him. The musicians found the song’s tempo and varying sections difficult to record, especially Cain and bassist Ross Valory’s intro. Co-producer Mike Stone turned on a verbal click track for the group to practise to; after about twenty minutes, they turned the machine off and recorded the song live in one take. Perry rejoined Journey the next week and also completed his vocals mainly in one take. Altogether, the song and its corresponding album came together under its budget and in about two months. Cain was grateful that Perry gave his ideas equal weight given his status as a new member of the band.

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A Mustard Seed Of Faith featuring the Portsmouth Gospel Choir recorded and produced by Joffy James

Recently I was sorting out some papers when I saw the featured document reminding me that this year is the 25th anniversary of the foundation of Mustard Seed Songs. We are planning a celebratory concert in November but more of that later- in the meantime let me please share how we became a charity – I know I told this story back in 2021 but I believe it is worth telling again!

I had borrowed money to pay for the duplication of the first 1000 copies of our first CD “I Look Up To The Heavens” but was selling more that we needed to cover the monthly repayments. I remember having “that feeling inside” that we should send Katherine Knight some money in Peru. Katherine was the daughter of Paul Knight who introduced me to an Alpha Course and which led me to become a Christian. Katherine had taken time off from her studies to work voluntarily in Peru for the Christian agency, ““Latin Link”. She was part of a young team that were helping build two projects, the first of which was an orphanage.

I rang Paul in February 1999 to tell him that CD sales were going well and that I would like to send Katherine £500.00 – in fact they were not going that well – I just felt confident that we would be able to raise that amount. Paul was obviously delighted and agreed to ring Katherine to tell her the good news. When he made the phone call, he did give her a chance to first say anything but went straight into “I have some great news for you- the sales of “I Look Up To the Heavens” are going well enough for Ken to send you £500.00.” Paul expected some sort of emotional reaction but not the flood of tears that followed. Katherine then explained that her team was near the end of their orphanage building project, but all the materials they needed to complete the work had been stolen. The team were devastated and thought that they would have to abandon the project. In tears they spent the night in prayer. That had been the previous night – so when Paul told his daughter that £500.00 was on its way, that was indeed a real answer to their prayers, especially as when the money was converted to local currency it turned out to be the exact amount needed to replace the stolen materials and so finish the project!!

Sometime later I got a phone call from Alan Passmore, the father of one of Katherine’s “Latin Link” team saying that he had heard the amazing story of how money received from our CD sales had enabled the orphanage building work to be completed. He then went on to say that he was a Solicitor who specialised in creating charities and would I like our song writing mission to become a registered charity? “Yes please” was my simple answer. Mustard Seed Songs was not a rocket science title – the parable from Matthew 13 seemed totally appropriate for a project that we felt from a small beginning would grow and grow. So, in late 1999 Mustard Seed Songs became Registered Charity No 177618.

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Love is the Way featuring Lucy Stimpson Maynard from the album Love is the Way recorded and produced by Bob Ross.

So last week I explained that we have just finished filming our current project “A Journey of Faith which is a “spin- off” from our major project – “Theophilus- The Musical” – the sequel to “Risen! The Musical.”
The featured video hopefully explains it all – only correction is we now have 10 not 8 episodes!

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Filming “A Journey of Faith”

Put Your Hand in the Hand of God featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Precious recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Hooray- we have now completed the filming of “A Journey of Faith.” (AJOF) This is a “spin- off” from our major project – “Theophilus- The Musical” which is the sequel to “Risen! The Musical” and features Luke recounting to his patron, Theophilus, his second book – the Acts of the Apostles. We would love to film this but in the meantime our focus has been on the conversations that Theophilus and Luke have relating to such big questions as to why a God of love allows suffering and what will happen to me when I die?
There are ten episodes with Luke and Theophilus’ conversations featuring musical theatre. Study notes are being prepared to create a course suitable for church home groups – similar in concept to the famous Alpha course.
The cast and tech crew all had a fabulous time working at the studios of GLOBAL FIRE CREATIVE and staying at the Anglesea Hotel, Alverstoke.
The next job is the edit and then hopefully churches worldwide will be rushing to use AJOF!!

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For the last four days we have been filming Mustard Seeds’ latest project “A Journey of Faith” More of that next week as I just had to share this heartwarming episode from Britain’s Got Talent.

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Titchfield Festival Theatre

The Fire of Sacrifice featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Precious recorded and produced by Ross Gill

So last week I shared that the venue for our Year 2022 staged concert of Theophilus- the Musical was to have been St John’s Church in Forton Road, Gosport. (and here, as promised is a link to Act Two)
Theophilus -The Musical staged concert version – Act Two – YouTube)
Although we did not end up at St Johns, I wrote of what a great venue it has now become. Another of our plans was to stage our Risen! The Musical at the new Arden Theatre, one of the facilities of the Titchfield Festival Theatre (TFT) Sadly that did not happen with one of the reasons being that Fareham Borough Council issued an injunction against them. Below is a Trustee of TFT arguing their case.
https://youtu.be/6ntCj6CxvZo?si=opEQYYZSgRXfOqDI

Below is a published article on the subject published in the Portsmouth News:
Titchfield Festival Theatre’s appeal against a planning enforcement notice entered a third day, with a planning inspector set to decide the fate of part of a 450-seat theatre, which is part of the St Margaret’s Lane site. Fareham Borough Council said it was built without permission, but this is disputed by the theatre.

On the third day of the inquiry, planning inspector Nancy Thomas heard evidence from Fareham Borough Council’s town planning expert Stephen Jupp to support an enforcement planning notice the authority issued against the charity.
He began by answering questions from the council’s barrister Emma Dring and then from Titchfield Festival Theatre’s KC, Megan Thomas. The inquiry had already heard evidence from Ian Donohue, the theatre’s planning expert on day two.
Under questioning from Emma Dring, Mr Jupp said the development was clearly in conflict with planning policies. The theatre had not gone through the procedure of looking for alternative sites, a ‘sequential test’ before expanding and should have looked at Fareham for a satellite site. He said the theatre was not just serving a local need but had a wider client base than just Titchfield as evidenced by Steve Clark, from a Portsmouth-based theatre company who gave a representation at the inquiry on the first day.
Mr Jupp had calculated that with 102 performances per year, at 70 per cent capacity, the Arden Theatre alone would generate 33,000 visitors. This intensity and expansion meant that the existing planning application had been breached and could not be considered a small-scale rural development. It materially changed and so new planning permission should have been sought.

Under cross-examination, Mr Jupp said to Megan Thomas: “There was no way of mitigating harm that had already taken place or future harm of parking, noise and [road] safety. Harm occurs and continues to occur.”
Megan Thomas said the theatre is a community and leisure facility and part of the cultural infrastructure and located in the countryside. As such there is a policy where countryside expansion should be allowed if there is a local need.
There was much back and forth over the distinction of local and regional need, and Ms Thomas said there was not another theatre nearby that offered the community benefits and facilities Titchfield Festival Theatre offered.
While Mr Jupp agreed with the benefits of the venue, he said he was not placed to compare it to other theatres, like Portsmouth’s Kings Theatre. He said it was also about the scale of expansion and harm caused to its locality that breached planning permission.

Planning inspector Nancy Thomas also heard representations from four more Titchfield Festival Theatre supporters on Thursday morning who sat in the packed public gallery at The Holiday Inn, Fareham.
Sarah Lock, of Locks Heath, who runs the Tots Rehabilitation programme at the venue, said she makes theatre accessible to a current group of 15, 18-month to preschool-age toddlers. She said: “It gives the children the opportunity to do shows with professional lights and music in an auditorium not offered elsewhere in the area. It brings together its parents and carers who have become good friends. The potential of losing that would be devastating.”
Titchfield resident Donna Lennon said the community theatre has helped her mental health and her five-year-old daughter’s stutter. She said it’s a great facility for the children and gives them somewhere other than McDonald’s to go to in the future. She said: “It’s somewhere to go, very positive and good for the community.”
Volunteer of six years, Jeanette Evans, runs the outreach programme at the Arden Theatre. She said: “We do so much for the mental health and emotional support of large numbers in the community. We go out into the community to rest homes, to lunch clubs, to local schools. By destroying the Arden you will be destroying the opportunities to a huge amount of people.”
Stewart Trotter, talked about Titchfield Theatre’s cultural importance ‘making a bond with Shakespeare’. He said there is growing evidence that Shakespeare was in Titchfield and cited a letter signed by the Earl of Southampton with the body of the letter in Shakespeare’s handwriting.
The inquiry continues into a fourth day at the Fareham Borough Council chamber. Closing arguments will be heard on Tuesday, May 21 virtually, with a decision from the Inspectorate by July 3.

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St John’s Church, Gosport

Walking With The King of Kings featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album Precious recorded and produced by Ross Gill

So, my wife Caroline and I are in the Tap Room in Stokes Road, Gosport for a pre- Thai meal drink. On our table was an invitation to an ”Awakening” Beer Festival at St Johns Church also in Gosport. St John’s is the home of Quay West Studios which organise concerts and other events (like beer festivals!) in the St John’s building.
Now St Johns was going to be the venue for our staged concert of Theophilus – The Musical but it was not going to be ready in time for our May 2022 date, so eventually we, very successfully, held the concert in the school hall of Bay House. School. Here is a link to Act One. (2) Theophilus The Musical – Staged Concert Version – Act One – YouTube I’ll post a link to Act Two next week- this is particularly topical as we are completing the filming of a spin off to Theophilus – A Journey of Faith – more of that in the next few weeks. The point of all this is that the St John’s venue was awesome!! The place looked like something out of a trendy London night club, the lighting was great – the sound was fantastic – live bands had been playing throughout the beer festival. The foyer area has been transformed into a bar – the whole place looked really great – so many congratulations to Louis and Nick and all those involved in the project. I loved the place so much so that I have started to have dreams of putting on a Mustard Seed Songs event there – so please watch this space.

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Author Unknown

I thought I was done with sharing dance clips but then I found these and oh my goodness!! I just wish I had been able to dance like these guys during my clubbing days- certainly beats the Twist!
So, which if these three to you reckon is best?

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I very rarely watch Britain’s Got Talent, but my wife is a fan. She was watching when I saw a most pleasant Nigerian guy being interviewed by Amanda (I don’t think I need to give her second name!) I decided to watch as I was curious to see if he was going to be a magician, a comedian, a dancer or what – however, like the panel and audience, I got a real shock when he began to perform. See if you agree!

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Yours is a Jealous Love featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Precious recorded and produced by Ross Gill

So, you now know that I love music and dance – well another love is golf and I was so chuffed to learn that the worlds number one golfer and winner of this years Masters Championship is a Christian.
Below is a recent article published By Premier media:
Professional golfer Scottie Scheffler said he woke up Sunday morning before the final round of the Masters at Augusta, Ga., with anxious thoughts but took solace knowing that his future is “secure on the cross.”
Hours later, Scheffler — an outspoken Christian and the world’s No. 1 golfer — was celebrating his second Masters title in three years.
The American and University of Texas product edged Swedish golfer Ludvig Åberg with a final round 4-under par 68 and finished at 11-under for the tournament, four strokes better than Åberg.
Scheffler led by only one stroke heading into Sunday’s final round and said he felt the pressure.
“I was sitting around with my buddies this morning [and] I was a bit overwhelmed,” he said after the final round during a news conference. “Because I told them, I was like, ‘I wish that I didn’t want to win as badly … as I do.’ I think it would make the mornings easier. But I love winning. I hate losing. I really do. And when you’re here in the biggest moments, when I’m sitting there with a lead on Sunday, I really, really want to win badly.”
His friends then gave him some advice straight out of the Bible.
“And my buddies told me this morning, you know, my victory was secure on the cross. And that’s a pretty special feeling to know that I’m secure forever, and it doesn’t matter whether or not I win this tournament, or if I lose this tournament, you know, my identity is secure forever.”
Scheffler also won the Masters in 2022. He is ranked No. 1 in the world, having won three tournaments and finishing in the Top 10 eight times this year.
Asked by a media member how his faith impacts bad breaks on the course, Scheffler responded, “I believe that today’s plans were already laid out many years ago, and I could do nothing to mess up those plans.”
“I’ve been given a gift of this talent, and I use it for God’s glory,” he continued. “That’s pretty much it. So when I’m out there, I try to compete to the best of my abilities. Like I said, I really want to win. I feel like that’s how I was designed. I’ve been that way since I was a young kid. That’s always been a part of me. And I don’t think that should be going away anytime soon. I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with that, either. But at the end of the day, like I said, my identity is secure already. And I get to go out here and compete, have fun, enjoy it. And then at the end of the day, win or lose, my identity is secure.”
Days earlier, Scheffler grabbed nationwide headlines when he said he would withdraw from the tournament if his wife went into labour. She is due in May.
He also discussed his faith during a pre-tournament press conference.
“I am a faithful guy. I believe in a Creator. I believe in Jesus,” Scheffler said before the tournament started. “Ultimately, I think that’s what defines me the most. Yeah, I feel like I’ve been given a platform to compete and show my talent. … I think that’s what defines me the most is my faith. I believe in one Creator, and I’ve been called to come out here [and] do my best to compete and glorify God.”

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