Worship Weekend 2009

Hello! Yes, I'm still here... Looking back, I haven't been this inactive on the blog for 18 months. But life has been pretty full.

We have just had our worship weekend. Lots of good things - and one unfortunate one; the timing was of course an issue. When we organised it, we failed to note the clash with the last day of the Six Nations Rugby. That affected our Saturday evening crowd.

But we did have a great time - as people have been commenting on the previous post! So here's some stuff. Frankly, I am still too exhausted to review everything, so I'm going to just give you a few photos, a few random comments, and a bit of video.

First: Big Band Praise. This was the event that the rugby hit. So we had a small crowd. But, we had a great time, and with almost a different band to last time, we had a fantastic sound. The guys were amazing, and I remain completely committed to doing this. I think that for this to work at its best, someone like Kenn Hughes as a guest is ideal - an outside draw to add to the attraction of the evening - but we had a blast. Some items went far better than last time. One or two not quite as well. And there were some new pieces: notably at last I have got round to doing a big band version of Tim Hughes' Happy Day. Evan Clegg on trumpet was especially brilliant, and deserves a particular mention for a couple of solos that even outshone the amazing Andy Greenwood on the CD. But the whole band were a delight; Tim Phipps & his crew were great, Val provided a storming meal for all, and though someone said to me afterwards that I gave the same as if there had been a thousand there, of course the answer to that is simple.

In worship, the audience always consists of One. I give Him my best, or it's not worth showing up.

So photos - the whole band from different angles. A couple of closer shots. I hope you get the feel of fun and passion and joy and intimacy and real worship thorugh these pics. It was a delight. There will be video, possibly. And also, possibly, audio.

Already I have posted two YouTube clips from Sunday.

Matty gave a brief cameo performance in the morning service, as he helped teach on Colossians 3. No photo of that. But I think the kids will remeber him, and the adults the point! (I was just petrified he would leave his mark on the carpet; he has a history of doing this in church... But I'd explained everything the night before, and the dog did well and did no doo-doo!)

Those YouTube clips.

OK - in the afternoon we were privileged to host a concert by husband and wife guitarists John Mills and Cobie Smit. John studied with Segovia and John Williams, and heads up the guitar department at the RWCMD as well as being a professor at the Royal Academy. They were fantastic, and part of their programme included a world premiere performance of a sonatina for two guitars by Welsh composer Mervyn Burtch. Here is a clip of part of that.

In the evening we had Cafe Church. Matthew Truelove sang three of his own songs - great songs, sung really well. He is great. This is a clip of him last night during the service.
Not great quality I am afraid on either of these clips, they were shot with my little camera, but at least they provide mementos of the day.

We raised around £850 for the Anthony Nolan Trust over the weekend through all the events we put on - which was another fantastic achievement. Thanks to all the musicians for giving their time for free, and for everyone for helping us to do something great for a a great cause as we worshipped. Love God, love your neighbour; that's what we are about.

And today - a little time to breathe. Then it's full tilt into making sure we have applications for grants on the Church Hall plans sorted for the end of the month...