chorus

 

 

I have fond memories of a walk through red-light Amsterdam streets with two young boys and their parents. And now I stand next to one of those boys again.

 

Don't worry, this is not a story of child abuse!  Michael's parents were two fantastic Christian missionaries from the church where my wife and I  asked Jesus into our lives.  We visited them and their family in Amsterdam over three decades ago when they were serving in a place called 'The Ark'.

 

And now Michael and I are here together again. It's the sound-check for a 'Concert for Ukraine' and he's one of the musicians who will be playing later in the evening. 

 

We start to chat and before long discover our historical links.  A chance encounter or a reminder of how God brings paths to cross? 

 

Michael's changed a lot since I lost saw him - bigger and facially hirsute - but some things, like his passion for music, remain the same.   I love times like these.

 

real gone

 

 

an early morning walk

in the early morning sun

in an early morning village

in an early morning world

 

and the sky is warm and high

and the grass has grown fast

and the sun is shining brightly

on a day that's green-cut cast

 

the field is cut

the hay is baled

and soon it goes from view

a memory as time flows past

of where the grass once grew.

 

 

 

 

   

a kitchen filled with love

 

 

Do you sometimes despair at the perpetual mess and clutter that is family life?  Despair not, for sometimes amongst that mess and clutter can be found something infinitely deeper and beautiful.

 

This is a kitchen filled with love.  A place where meals and conversation are shared, a place where drawings and craft and stories come to life, a place where a family comes together.

 

 

 

 

somewhere in an english church

  

somewhere in an english church

in silence

passing through

colours

and candles

and lights

and flowers

and pipes

 

somewhere in an english church

in silence

passing through

the black monks

and the high  

and the mighty

and the lowly

and the dead

 

 

somewhere in an english church

 

 

 

sometimes there's blood

 

 

The music flowed through the heavy laden heat of 'The Kitchen Garden' on Friday night. We were treated to two fantastic sets, the first by the phenomenal Welsh guitarist, Gwenifer Raymond.

 

Gwenifer is, in the words of her Facebook page, a 'guitar convincer, banjo thumber and American Primitive musician.' We didn't need much convincing. She delivered a thunderous set which hailed down notes like falling scree in a Welsh slate-quarry!

 

If you haven't heard Gwenifer before look her up on YouTube.  Here's, 'Sometimes There's Blood', 'a  fleet-fingered song on her debut album, 'You Never Were Much of a Dancer.'

 

 

 

 

urban driftwood

 

This is Yasmin Williams, a brilliant young American guitarist from North Virginia. We watched her play a few days ago and were mesmerised with the beauty of her music.

 

Yasmin's compositions are calming, almost gamelan in their haunting precision. The description 'guitarist' does not do her justice. Whilst her finger-picking is exemplary she explores the deeper dynamic textures of her instrument. 

 

Yasmin lays the guitar on her lap, taps the fret-board to coax out ringing notes, plays it like a dulcimer with a small mallet, takes a bow to the strings and tapes a kalimba (a type of thumb-piano) to the body .  At the same time she punctuates the music with percussive accompaniments tapped out on a kick-board at her feet. 

 

It was a performance not to be forgotten and unlike anything we had ever seen before.

Her second album, 'Urban Driftwood' was released last year. I was very fortunate indeed to buy it on CD, having been out of stock in the UK for several months.  You can listen to it on Spotify or check out her performances on YouTube, of which this is one. Take a listen. You won't be disappointed!

 

 

 

n

 

 

 

The lights dim, Yasmin waves as she leaves the stage and the ghostly sounds of her guitar echo into the hot night-air. What an experience!