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\nI Look Up To The Heavens featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodginson<\/p>\nSo last week I said that would tell you how attending a worship seminar presented by Brian Doerksen, who wrote \u201cMore than Oxygen,\u201d played at my baptism, influenced me to start writing Christian songs \u2013 here is the story\u2026.
\nSometime in late 1997 I read in the Holy Rood Church notice sheet that there was a Worship Seminar to be held in Winchester, led by Brian Doerksen, I had that \u201cfeeling\u201d inside that made me know that this was something I was meant to attend. Brian is from Canada so I knew the opportunities to attend one of his Seminars would be few and far between.
\nSo, I went on my own to Winchester \u2013 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 \u2013 \u201cI wonder if my pop songs could become Christian songs \u2013 perhaps that is why it was intended that I came to this Worship Seminar? \u201c
\nSo, I went home and started \u201cconverting\u201d the lyrics of my pop songs to Christian lyrics. For some songs this was relatively easy \u2013 only needing for example to change \u201cBaby\u201d to \u201cLord!\u201d For others it was not so simple, for example \u201cDon\u2019t Lose Sight Of My Shore\u201d became \u201cFather Help Me Acknowledge You\u201d taken from Psalm 139.
\nSo, I went to see John Hodgkinson and told him that I wanted to do some recording again. He was fine about that \u2013 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 so mumbled \u201cJohn, the words have changed.\u201d John replied \u201cWhy, the words are fine.\u201d \u201cYes, John but now they are Chris\u2026\u2026\u2026. words\u201d I did not actually say the word Christian as I had my hand over my mouth so just a muffled \u201cChris \u2026\u201d came out. About three times this happened before John could hear the word \u201cChristian.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s fine\u201d he reassured me \u2013 so there had been no need for me to be embarrassed at all.
\nNext thing was to find a singer. I am sure Louise Redknapp (spelt correctly this time) and Cole (see blog March 20th) would have sung it but I had just heard Lucy Stimpson sing at the School Prom Karaoke and knew that \u201cshe was the one.\u201d So next day I ventured over to the Music Department armed with my cassette of \u201cDon\u2019t Lose Sight Of My Shore.\u201d After hearing it Lucy said that she would love to record it but why as the previous recording was great. \u201cAh yes Lucy\u201d I hesitantly explained \u201cBut the words have changed.\u201d \u201cWhy, they are great words\u201d insisted Lucy. \u201cThanks, but they are now \u201cChris\u2026\u2026. words\u201d I burbled with hand over mouth. After the regulation three \u201cChris\u2019s \u2026..\u201d the word Christian came out to which Lucy replied \u201cThat\u2019s great I am a Christian.\u201d What no way -this was going too well \u2013 what about all the micky taking I was expecting?
\nI 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 \u2013 and as there was no way that I could ever produce written music Lucy being able to play by ear was just perfect!
\nSo the first CD was born- \u201cI Look Up To The Heavens.\u201d The majority of songs being converted pop songs all recorded in John Hodge\u2019s studio in his house. I remember \u201cIf Love Had Never Died\u201d became \u201cJesus Is The Alphabet,\u201d \u201cNo More Sad Songs\u201d became \u201cLet Us All Stand Up And Be Glad\u201d and \u201cTake My Look, Take My Touch, Take My Whisper\u201d which I had made up to sing to my son Chris at bedtime became \u201cFather Let Your Spirit Fall Upon Me.\u201d \u201cI had not made that song up when James, my other son was of an age to be sung to at bedtime \u2013 he had to put up with a version of James Taylor\u2019s \u201cSweet Baby James.\u201d
\nI remember giving my colleague, Neale, in the PE Department a cassette with some PE stuff on it not realising it also had a recording of \u201cFather Help Me to Acknowledge You.\u201d I remember him saying \u201cWhat\u2019s all this Father stuff I heard on that cassette you gave me?\u201d I thought \u201cOh no here comes the micky taking big time\u201d but no, Neale simply said \u201cWell I liked it \u2013 anything I can do to help let me know.\u201d And so he designed the artwork for our first three CDs and our Mustard Seed logo, created the first Mustard Seed Songs website and was I\/C sound for many of our concerts.
\nWhen the recording of \u201cI Look Up To The Heavens\u201d was completed in 1999 Lucy, John, Neale and myself went to London to Hiltongrove Studios to have the CD mastered. We made a day of it picking up a West End Show- great times!
\nJames, my son (who I have to say is now really supportive and gives good advice) said to me when we had 1000 CDs of \u201c I Look Up To The Heavens\u201d reproduced -\u201cOnce all your aunties have bought a copy you won\u2019t sell any more \u2013 I reckon 50 of those 1000 CDs will go at best. \u201c
\nWell as we now know for once James was rather wrong !! Next week I will tell you how many copies of \u201cI Look Up To The Heavens have been sold and also how Mustard Seed Songs became a registered charity \u2013 and that really is an amazing story!
\nQuote of the week
\nSo, you never know who you touch. You never know how or when you\u2019ll have an impact, or how important your example can be to someone else.
\nDenzel Washington<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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