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Category Archives: Music
Scrooge – The Musical
Last Saturday I went to see Scrooge – The Musical in Woking starring Tommy Steele in the lead role. Scrooge is of course the main character in Charles Dickens book Christmas Carol. I have seen and enjoyed many different film versions of Christmas Carol over the years and it is one of my favourite stories that has been taken to the screen. I had not realised there was a musical though so I was intrigued to see what it would be like. Musicals can be very good but I did not know any of the songs so was unsure what to expect.
I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed. Tommy Steele was excellent as Scrooge and received a standing ovation at the end of the show. He portrayed both sides of Scrooge very well. There were many other strong performances from the cast. Also despite the limitations of a stage the scenery, props and special effects were excellent too and added to a very good production.
Scrooge is of course a very well known character and I still enjoy seeing him change after he encounters the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. What a wonderful change from a horrid man who only thought of himself and how much money he could get to a man who was deeply concerned with other people, especially those who were worse off than him.
As I ponder this story I’m reminded of a man called Zacchaeus. He like Scrooge loved money and it dominated his life too. Zacchaeus also had his life completely turned round. However unlike Scrooge he did not meet the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Zacchaeus met Jesus the Son of God and was completely changed. Have you met Jesus?
David and Goliath
The story of David and Goliath is one of the most well known ones in the Bible. In the sporting world the phrase “David versus Goliath” is an expression that is often used to describe a contest between two seemingly mismatched opponents. For example last weekends FA Cup match between Premier League leaders Manchester United and non league Crawley Town.
However I think if we just view it like that we don’t get the full meaning of the story. It’s not just about the little person versus the big person. This story is about an evil man who was mocking God and rebelling against him and who was defeated by a young lad who trusted God and fought for the Lord’s honour.
The video below called Bethlehemian Rhapsody tells the well known story in an enjoyable way and is worth a watch!
The Wonder of the Cross
Yesterday morning in our service we sung “O precious sight (The wonder of the cross).” This song is still new to me and the words of the chorus are so good that I’ve decided to include them below along with a video of the song.
May I never lose the wonder,
The wonder of the cross.
May I see it like the first time
Standing as a sinner lost,
Undone by mercy and left speechless,
Watching wide eyed at the cost.
May I never lose the wonder,
The wonder of the cross.
Words by Vicky Beeching
Story behind the Song – In Christ Alone
One of my favourite worship songs is “In Christ Alone” by Stuart Townend. Do you ever wonder how these songs come into being? I have zero music ability so would not even know how to begin to write a song! In this clip below Stuart tells us about the story behind how this song came about. Have a listen to it.
An Evening with Yazz
Those of you of a certain age will no doubt remember how in the summer of 1988 Yazz stormed to the top of the UK single charts with her classic song “The only way is up.” Fast forward 21 years and last night Yazz was singing tracks from her album “Running back to You” at St Christopher’s Church in Cove and sharing how she had come to find true freedom in Christ.
Yazz spoke about fame and the emptiness that she experienced with it and how she tried to search for meaning to life. After trying different paths she eventually found Christ and discovered true freedom. It was wonderful to hear her testimony both in words and music about how God had met and changed her.
Yazz’s website can be found at http://www.yazzmusic.co.uk
Beverley Trotman
Those people who are fans of X-Factor may remember the name Beverley Trotman from the 2007 series. Beverley is a primary school teacher from Luton who reached the live stages of the X-Factor competition and remained on the show for 8 weeks.
On Saturday night I went to see her sing in Aldershot at High Trinity Church. Beverley is in the process of releasing her first album, which is a praise and worship one, and sung some of the songs from it with her daughter also singing with her too. As well as her singing, Beverley spoke about her Christian faith and shared her testimony with the audience.
It was an enjoyable evening and if you get the chance to see her sing and speak I would recommend going. If you want to keep up with the latest news about Beverley then you can visit her blog http://www.beverleytrotmanblog.com/
My Favourite Video
Well tonight thanks to the excellent plug in Smart Youtube I learnt how to put videos on my blog!
This is Chris Tomlin’s “How Great is our God.”
Michael Jackson
Today is a sad day for pop music fans as they mourn the loss of the legendary Michael Jackson. Whatever one may think about him there is no denying that he has been responsible for some truly great and memorable music over the years.
The Thriller album alone sold over 65 million copies and is the best selling album of all time. I cannot imagine any modern day artist beating that. So many wonderful songs but sadly a troubled soul away from his music.
Tim Challies has written an article called “A Tortured Existence” and on the Between Two Worlds blog there is a Reflection on Jackson, Death and Celebrity Culture. These articles give some prospective from a Christian viewpoint on the life and death of Michael Jackson.
The Obituary of Michael Jackson from the BBC website reminds us all of his legacy.
How Great is our God
“How Great is our God” by Chris Tomlin is my favourite worship song at the moment. Fortunately the church I attend rarely sing it so I’ve not had a chance to get overloaded on it yet!
For those who like me think this is a tremendous song the following videos of it from You Tube are worth viewing and enjoying:
How Great is our God - video 1