Download Risen! the title track from Ken Shearsmith’s Risen! – The Musical – the perfect song for today, Easter Sunday for only 99p.
Please share with friends
Full album available to download later this week – hard copies available from www.risenthemusical.com
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Ken Shearsmith is offering you a free track for Good Friday from his new musical Risen!-The Musical – “One Day A Crown” – please share with your friends
“One Day a Crown” featuring Mary wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, John and Peter – Introduction from John
Please share with your friends. If you would like to purchase the full CD, please visit www.risenthemusical.com
“Jesus You Are Everything” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
Rev. Peter Hancock, the Bishop of Bath and Wells received a Risen!- The Musical CD and made these amazing comments:
St Paul was very clear when he wrote these words to the Church in Corinth: “And if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and so is your faith”. These are the words that inspired Ken Shearsmith to write and compose Risen!-The Musical. It tells the story of the last week of Jesus’ life, on to the wonder, surprise and joy of the resurrection appearances and then finishes with His Ascension. It is a moving, uplifting and inspiring portrayal of the Biblical accounts and the words and music capture the drama, excitement and emotion of those events.
I have been moved and encouraged by listening to Risen!-The Musical and I hope many people will also have the chance to hear it and will be equally inspired to follow the Lord Jesus whose life it depicts. As you listen you will find yourself drawn into the events that have shaped the history of the world and more importantly you will discover, some perhaps for the first time, the love of God who sent Jesus to live and to die for us.
It is my hope that Risen!-The Musical will help many people grow in their faith, live out their faith and share that faith with others.
‘The Lord is risen’. ‘He is risen indeed. Alleluia!’
Wow – how great an endorsement is that?! So please consider purchasing a CD yourself – they are available now – just visit www.risenthemusical.com Alternatively look up Risen- The Musical in ITunes and/or Amazon as it should be available to download in the next day or so- as soon as it is we will send you a link.
Featured song for today is “Jesus You Are Everything” sung by Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “I Look Up To The Heavens.”
“What Would Jesus Do” featuring Yvette Page and the Mustard Seed Girls Choir from the CD “Uplifted”
The double CDs of Risen!- The Musical will be delivered tomorrow and so we will be able to make the Palm Sunday release date- which is great news- well done to Tim Courtnell and all at Sound Performance Ltd for making the deadline.
From Sunday March 29th The CD’s will be available to download via ITunes and Amazon but if you would prefer a hard copy please visit www.mustardseedsongs.org.uk where the CDs can be purchased on- line for only £9.99. That’s pretty good value for 110 minutes of music so please go ahead and buy one.
The other good news is that we are close to getting a cast for the Pentecost May 23rd stage production of Risen!- The Musical in Coventry and for the forthcoming autumn show at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth.
Last blog I told you that the Risen! CD was mastered by Andrew Bourbon, a Senior Lecturer at the London College of Music (LCM) which is part of the University of West London based in Ealing. Andrew was so impressed with the show that he told his friends in the Performing Arts Department. I met one in London, Niamh Mcguckin, who Lectures in Voice (which means singing too) and she too was so impressed that she has taken it upon herself to form a cast from LCM students and post -graduates together with fellow professionals. She has acquired the use of the LCM facilities (which are amazing) for rehearsals and intends to have a least 10 rehearsals on Wednesdays and Sundays before the Pentecost production. LCM students have aspirations of performing in the West End so this cast will be amazing – I appreciate that you may not be able to get to Coventry but please, please try to get to the production at the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth which, as I say, will be in the autumn once the £9m refurbishment is complete. Oh by the way Niamh, who is a committed Christian, is directing the show and I am expecting her to also sing the part of Mary sister of Lazarus and Martha. Thank you so much Niamh!!
Next week I am visiting Crofton Hammond Infants School in Stubbington to talk to the children in assembly about the work of mustard seed songs. Some years ago, in our previous musical His Story children from Hammond Infants sang “What Would Jesus Do.” It is this week’s featured song and comes from our CD “Uplifted” sung by Yvette Page and the Mustard Seed Girls’ Choir.
“The Girling Family” (not pictured, Charlotte) – will be much missed- thanks for everything.
“Glorious in His Humility ” Featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard with backing vocals from Kat Hands from CD “Love Is The Way” recorded by John Hogdkinson.
Sorry for short blog this week but I have been laid low with a wicked flu type bug. Feeling a bit better today but now by lovely wife Caroline has gone down with the same thing.
I was especially upset to have missed the leaving party at Holy Rood for our Vicar, Rev. Stephen Girling and his family- leaving after 14 years of fantastic service.
Among many things for which I am extremely grateful, Stephen married Caroline and myself in a wonderful service nearly seven years ago, conducted Caroline’s unforgettable baptism in the Solent and is, of course, father to Joffy, without whom there would be no Risen !- The Musical. So I wish Stephen, Diane and all the family every good wish for their new life in Bath. Stephen will be working in Bath Abbey, teaming up with his old friend Peter Hancock, who is Bishop of Bath.
Fortunately I was not laid low until Saturday 14th so I was ok to travel to London on the Friday for the last day of mixing Risen! with Andrew Bourbon and Joffy at the London College of Music. That went really well, but I also met with Niamh Mcguckin, a Lecturer in the Performing Arts Department. To say the meeting went well would be a huge under -statement but I will wait till next week, when hopefully back to full strength, before telling you the whole exciting story.
In the meantime I hope you enjoy this week’s featured song “Glorious In His Humility.” This was sung by Lucy Stimpson- Maynard at that concert for Roberta Cousins I talked about in last week’s blog -and later recorded on the album “Love is the Way.”
Mary and Marha with Jesus – Uganda card from Roberta to Ken
Mustard Seed Songs concert for Roberta at Holy Rood
“Don’t Be Ashamed of Jesus” The Mustard Seed Soul Band featuring Nicola and Fiona Poustie, Kat Hands and Katy Summer.
Tomorrow Joffy and I are off to the London School of Music in Ealing for the last day of mixing Risen!-The Musical before handing over the huge task of mastering to LCM Senior Lecturer, Andrew Bourbon. Then one more listen from Joffy and me before 1000 are replicated by Sound Performance Ltd – all ready for release on Palm Sunday, March 29th!
Tomorrow I also have a meeting with the London College of Music, Performing Arts Department to discuss auditioning and creating a cast for the Risen! – The Musical performance in Coventry on May 23rd – the same cast hopefully then performing in the autumn stage production at the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth. All very exciting!
I have also been responding to all the advice given by Jonathan Brown MD of Integrity Music and Ross Gill of Global Fire and have been registering with PRS- PPL- ISRC and MCPS to ensure that Risen! is fully protected for copyright.
Found myself in the loft the other day – as one does – and there was a programme of a very early Mustard Seed Songs concert at Holy Rood church in aid of Roberta Cousins’ ministry work in Uganda.
I could not do Roberta’s amazing story justice here but suffice to say that she overcome agoraphobia and a lack of support from the elders of her church to obey what she knew to be God’s call and to go to Uganda on her own – not knowing anyone and with no planned place to stay. Now, after many years, some very challenging and despite continuous bouts of malaria Roberta is still in Uganda preaching, evangelising and blessing the local people of Kampala and the surrounding villages- a true “Woman of God.”
On 11th of November 2000 Roberta gave me a book in which to write thoughts and verses – the book had a card inside from Uganda with a picture on the front (see featured pic) of Martha and Mary with Jesus – Mary at His feet with Martha looking on irritated as she prepares Sudza en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadza Inside Roberta wrote “A Word from the Lord” for me – it is something that I often turn to for encouragement when things don’t seem to be going well – most especially in all that is connected with Mustard Seed Songs. Here is an extract – it’s the part that begins “You must remain in me “ that I need to constantly remind myself.
Though you I will heal the broken hearted. I will bring hope to the desolate, I will strengthen the weak. I will comfort the lonely, giving my love to others as I give my love to you. You must remain in me for I am the vine that feeds you, without me you can bear no fruit. You did not choose me but I choose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my Name- this is my command love each other.
Lucy Stimpson- Maynard singing in Mustard Seeds’ first musical “His Story” at Kings Theatre, Southsea. James Oliver on cello
“Father Let Your Spirit Fall Upon Me” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from CD ” I Look Up To The Heavens” produced by John Hodgkinson
So last week I said that things are hotting up re Risen! – The Musical and that continues to be the case. Mark Priddy of Spindrift Media has updated the Mustard Seed Songs’ website ready for the Risen! double CD release on Palm Sunday, March 29th – www.mustardseedsongs.org.uk In addition PJ, the Risen! blog webmaster, is ensuring that by visiting www.risenthemusical.com you will also be able to purchase the Risen! CDs.
I was fortunate enough last Thursday to meet Jonathan Brown who is MD of Integrity Music – the largest distributor of Christian music in the UK. He met me for over an hour in Bill’s Restaurant , Covent Garden in between him having meetings with Hill Songs and Matt Redman! Ok yes I know that I am name dropping big time but it is so difficult keeping one’s feet on the ground when so many exciting things are happening. However I firmly believe that this is all part of God’s plan – I am just so thankful to be part of it.
Joffy is working all hours with final editing and mixing and next Friday we return to the London College of Music for the last mixing session before Andrew Bourbon, one of the Senior Lecturers at LCM, masters the 110 minute musical ready to deliver to Tim Courtnell of Sound Performance Ltd for a deadline of March 18th.
Churches and individuals are contacting me with pre – release orders- you can do this yourself by visiting www.risenthemusical.com.
” A Worship Song” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from CD “Where Would I Be Without You? produced by Ross Gill
Hope you enjoyed half term (if you had one!)
Yes things are hotting up for Risen!- The Musical! Last week there was an article in “The News” written by Rev. Stephen Girling, Vicar of Holy Rood Church. Dr Graham Giles, who distributed promo Risen! CDs at the 63rd President’s Prayer Breakfast in Washington, USA (see blog February 12th) has had a reply from someone who received a copy – Bill Hightower, the Alabama State Senator. The Senator said “the songs and lyrics are wonderful” and even better “How is it that I may help you with your project?” Wow!!
I have been contacting churches to see if they can help with the Palm Sunday, March 29th launch of the double CD. Joffy has been “burning the midnight oil” ensuring that all the editing and mixing will be ready in time for Andrew Bourbon of The London College of Music to master the 100 minute Musical – again ready for Tim Courtnell of Sound Performance Ltd to ensure 1000 copies will be replicated in time for the CD’s launch on Palm Sunday, March 29th.
I also had a meeting with my old friend Mick Mellows, who is Director of the Portsmouth based charity Faith and Football. Mick confirmed that he is extremely enthusiastic about Faith and Football collaborating with Mustard Seed Songs to produce a stage production of “Risen! – The Musical in the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth as soon as its £9m refurbishment is completed.
The featured song for this week is “A Worship Song” which, believe it or not, does not feature in Risen!- The Musical. Originally the song was called “From Distant Shores” and I wrote it ages ago when visiting friends in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was when I was in Haslar Hospital, Gosport (what a great hospital that was !) having a minor operation that I changed the words.
