Strange Days

Originally going to be called ‘The Journey’ this is a musical I started writing on a train journey. In 2001 I was on an early morning train from Castleford to Sheffield and as we crossed over the river Calder I saw the mist hovering over the water and above this mist there was the sky. I was reminded of John Ch. 1 ‘In the beginning’ and creation. I started to write a few notes and gradually the musical took shape. As I was recording ‘Awaiting The Arrival’ I used a couple of tracks for that CD with the thought to re-record them later.
I asked Chris Smith and Nick Burrows of Raindance Studios in Stourbridge to do the backing tracks and when I got them back I was amazed by the results. Years went by and eventually in late 2005 I started to ask people to sing the vocals and planned to produce the stage version for Easter 2006.
The musical is based on the life of Jesus and His disciples from John’s Gospel. The songs vary, from moody synthesizer sounds to rock and roll to disco! The opening is a band version of the main theme from ‘The Arrival’ and the final track is an overture! A complete cross section of musical styles!
The cast are Mick Leggett, Julie Plente, Terry Hill, Myself, Craig Gunshon, Julie Brooke, Ian M Butterfield, Isaac Hill, David Sharpe and Nikki Wilson.
In The Beginning
What Plan
No Room
Mary Song
Freak
Follow Me
Strange Days
Hosanna
Guilty
Days
He’s Alive
How Can I
Resting
Sorry
Go And Tell Them
Overture

We often read the story of Jesus and think simplistically about the time and the people. Were they simple fishermen? Were they unintelligent bystanders? Certainly not! Peter had a business; no doubt he had more than one boat and people working for him. Luke was a doctor, Matthew a tax collector and if you read the Bible the quality of the writing shows the Gospel writers were very literate. So our thoughts of simple times are a bit misguided. They were people who were, in some cases, the middle class of their time. I have tried to capture a little of the emotions and doubts of these people. Peter’s boasts and fall, how Mary felt holding the infant Jesus knowing who he was.
Strange days, being a musical, has a script too. I had hoped to produce the show at some stage (no pun intended!) and may possibly still do so. Full music, script, backing tracks with or without the narration is available just get in touch and save me a seat when you perform it.

After the pain of suffering
The terror of fear arrives.
The prisoner stands there waiting
Not knowing if to cry
His fate has been decided,
Written long ago.

The prophets had spoken
Oh so long ago.
The faultless one would suffer
More than any man
His death will be remembered,
To pay the price of sin.

Guilty Cried out the judge.
Guilty Cried out the judge,
Guilty Cried back the world.
There was no escape.

 A crown of thorns pressed on Him,
The prisoner was lead away. I
Carrying the scars of beatings I
Still with no word to say.
Was this to be His ending
Or was this His finest day?

Guilty! Cried out the judge,
Guilty! Cried out the judge,
Guilty! Cried back the world.
There was no escape.

 

Awaiting The Arrival

My first CD was a revelation to me, I had some songs I wanted to record and I approached Mike Walker at Tapebank. After a short discussion we decided to go ahead and record. Having no idea what I really wanted, Mike was really helpful in giving ideas and support.
Half the CD is orchestral, I have an orchestral background, and I remember hating playing violin in the Huddersfield Schools Orchestras! But the love of harmony stayed with me and my choirboy experience helped me to realise the end result. I have always enjoyed Hymns, although I prefer the up-tempo band versions that lead our worship these days. I was asked by a good friend if I knew of an orchestral version of ‘Be Thou My Vision’, I didn’t but thought I could write one and so I did! I also did ‘Holy Holy Holy’ and a couple of other orchestral pieces.
‘The Arrival’ is a tune I wrote years ago for Fathom, I always wanted to do a full version and as I was writing it I was reminded of Daniel Ch. 7 Which includes the phrase “I saw what Looked like a Son of Man, riding on the clouds of Heaven.” I asked John Froud to do a voice over of the whole chapter. Julie Brooke and Lydia Binder also appear on the CD.
Let Him Be
Awaken
Simeon’s Song
Lord Open Our Eyes
Where Can I Hide
Be Thou My Vision
Search My Heart
Holy Holy Holy
Sorry
The Arrival

Gifts for the King
This CD started life as a couple of songs for the Christmas nativity play on year at Church. The following year I was asked to write another play with more songs, this I did in May, which seemed a strange thing to do! I wrote three songs for the play and realised I was halfway to a CD! I continued to write and my favourite song ‘Did You’ came about. It is a song about the young Jesus growing up, did He know who he was and was He just a normal kid like us. It doesn’t have an answer but the orchestration on the end is a particular favourite of mine.
I share the vocals with Lucy Austin, Amiesha and Arianne Dermawan.
Christmas again
Thank You
Did You
I Love You
The Donkey’s Story
How Fickle
Going To Bethlehem
Gifts For The King
In A Stable