A very special way to finish the year sharing stories and music at YWAM Davao City, Mindanao. What a great week – amazingly creative students, lots of new friends made, eating at night markets, motor bike and tuktuk rides, Filipino style – and a snake popped up at lunchtime! Now the 2 day journey home!
Out in Göttingen, Germany recording Kerst Sikkema, originally from the Netherlands. We met during his visits to the Northumbria Community – and he sang on the Alone and Together recordings. Since then he has continued to write songs, a collection of Daily prayers (called Breeze) and Peace prayers for a community of foreign students, workers and refugees living in Germany. Oh, and the Bratwurst was wunderbar
What a great week here at YWAM Muskoka, Canada. Wonderful to be back sharing life, stories and music with an amazing group of people. Canada’s First Nation population went through a harrowing time during the season of residential schools. It is wonderful to see this school being run by a First Nations who is bringing a blessing rather than a curse. A true story of reconciliation. Fall is also a beautiful time to be in this land with the trees turning to their magnificent colours.
Just returned from another fantastic recording session in Sweden, working with Viola Grafström and some wonderful singers and acoustic players. Viola’s small studio is in a beautiful location next to a river – and if you are fortunate, in the early evening, you might catch a site of the local beavers passing by.
May the story of Christmas be a blessing to you all.
Nadolig Llawen – Mele Kalikimaka – Merry Christmas – God Jul – Joyeux Noël – Feliz Navidad – Gezegend Kerstfeest – VESELÉ VÁNOCE – Fröhliche Weihnachten – Prettige Kerstdagen
We want to say a big Thank You to all those who have kept encouraging us with your correspondence, friendship and support throughout the year.
A very special time sharing thoughts and stories from our travels in the nations – in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Met amazing people, ate incredible food, heard stories from people who face intense persecution and enjoyed the wonderful Thai culture. I shared at an international school for a week, a teenagers after school program and a school for underprivileged children. If that was not enough i picked up a couple of new instruments and saw some amazing critters. Very thankful.
Just found this old clip of Mark Riley and band singing Rise Up. We were playing at the 3rd Annual Spring Gala at Plantation Gardens in Poipu, Kaua’i. KUGA was a wonderful hip hop dance collaborative and we were playing for their annual fund raiser.
Saturday was a very special day for Jerry ‘Drumspeaker’ Chapman’s CD release party. People travelled as far as 8 hours away to be here in WA to celebrate. An afternoon feasting together and sharing the songs and stories from the recording. It was a memorable way for people to experience this new music and I was so encouraged by the response. Some great chats afterwards as musicians wanted to discuss with me how I had captured different sounds on the project.
We are excited to announce the release of ‘Wake Up Sleeping Giant‘. We met Jerry in a unique way whilst playing in Canada. I asked one of the organisers as I was setting up equipment if anyone had First Nation drums – he said no, but a voice from the auditorium shouted back, “I have a van full, do you want to borrow some?”. Since then we have spent time with Jerry and his wife Leslie, playing together at various events, learning from each other drum building techniques and dreaming about recording some of his songs. The results can be heard on this new recording released ion January 6th 2024. Jerry is from the Stó:Lō nation and is a drummer, First Nations drum maker and designer, singer and songwriter.
A wonderful few days as nations gathered to share their stories and songs on the Torres Martinez reservation, hosted by the Desert Cahuilla. The Cahuilla people have lived in southern California since the early 1800’s. We were welcomed with the singing of “bird songs” – songs that speak of their stories, journey’s and creation. It was a day where every nation got to share their songs and stories, eat together and build new relationships. Very thankful and honoured to be invited onto their land for the first time.
New track from our good friend Mark Riley. He writes, “Sometimes things in life leave you without words. I wrote this song after my daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Through this I realized that many people are faced with similar situations, and just need to know that God still loves them and so do the people around them. No matter what the circumstances look like. Sometimes those are the only words we have… ‘God makes a way, so be thankful and pray…’
Whilst walking near a friend Kent’s home in Sweden I was inspired by the natural sounds that surrounded me. It was a beautiful early morning, and the air was very still, except for the tops of one silver birch tree where the leaves were shimmering, dancing, singing in the wind. It was a very light, high-pitched sound – delicate yet very noticeable. It reminded me of a line I had read – and the trees clapped their hands.
Read MoreOne of my favourite songs from the album of the same name written by Mark Riley. When we recorded it almost 20 years ago I was never pleased with the mix due to all sorts of reasons and I dreamed that one day we would revisit it. A few years ago after the very sad death of Marks amazing son, Lucas, we decided to to do just that – dedicating it to his son. Our great friend Kevin Penner remixed the CD and we also re-mastered the whole project. 2 years later, we were amazed when it was nominated for a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award in Hawai’i by the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts.
Spirit of Four Directions (Native American) CD
£5.00
3 VftN Postcards
£1.00
Steps and Stones (Hawaii) CD
Original price was: £7.00.£5.00Current price is: £5.00.
These Things of Love (Hawaii) CD
Original price was: £12.00.£7.00Current price is: £7.00.
We Face into The Wind (Northumbria)
£12.00
Stones of Remembrance (Hawaii) CD
Original price was: £7.00.£5.00Current price is: £5.00.
The Finer Things in Life (Kevin Prosch & Bryn Haworth)
£12.00
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