There have been many tributes paid to the Bard of Avon in this the 400th anniversary of his death, and many productions of his works, but none can have been more striking than the latest Sheffield People's Theatre production, "A Dream". This company, drawn from across the city, always brings something fresh to the stage - last year's "Camelot: The Shining City" extended beyond the stage onto the streets of the city itself - and for 2016 they brought one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies into the present and into the heart of South Yorkshire's principal metropolis.
As you may surmise, 'A Dream' is a reworking of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but this time set in the Northern General Hospital, with the mischievous Puck the pharmacist whose medications wreak havoc in A&E. A cast of doctors, surgeons and nurses interact with characters drawn from across the Bard's canon: an elderly man, Tony and his wife, who he describes as his queen, Cleo; a gay couple, Romeo & Jules, brought in with a suspected overdose; and Beatrice & Benedick, 30 years wed, arrive for Ben's knee replacement.
The show was witty, well-paced and wonderfully acted by the hundred-strong amateur cast which spans the generations from school-children to pensioners, with stunning sets and a great score. Chris Bush's script is a triumph and the 2 hours 35 never drags. Lois Pearson as Puck exudes energy and fun throughout, but the whole company, and indeed the whole city, shines in this performance.
A wonderfully entertaining evening! A shame the run ends tonight...
Showing posts with label Sheffield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sheffield. Show all posts
Saturday, 16 July 2016
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
Yes - Sheffield City Hall, 3rd May 2016
Last year (2015) was a difficult one for Yes fans around the world, bringing with it the sad death of founder and only consistent member of the band, Chris Squire. Many speculated as to whether the band would - or should - continue, but as Chris himself had made contingency plans in appointing Billy Sherwood as his heir in the bass department, the band continue to play, and their current tour reached Sheffield last evening.
In the past 5 years I've seen Yes three times now in the City Hall in Sheffield, each time with a different line-up: the 'Fly From Here' tour, the '3 Album Tour' (Close to the Edge, The Yes Album & Going For The One), and this one. I, like many others, was keen to see how Billy would fit back into the band, and how they would manage to perform some of the material that the two albums on show present.
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| Billy Sherwood |
Following the interval, we began the second half with a couple of hit singles: 'Don't Kill the Whale', and 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'. I must say that Steve looked almost comfortable playing Rabin's guitar parts on 'Owner...' and had the sound down perfectly. Then 'Fragile'. The band numbers, most of which have been live staples for years, came across very well, as did 'The Fish', which Sherwood made his own without losing its iconic nature. 'Mood for a Day' was played perfectly by Steve, and Geoff gave an almost flawless rendition of 'Cans & Brahms'. Even '5% for Nothing' passed muster! Where things came unstuck was 'We Have Heaven', where backing tapes and live performance just didn't mesh at all, and I was left feeling embarrassed for them. Maybe with three singers on stage and some creative use of looping, they could do something better with this material?
Despite my criticisms above, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. There is a kind of world-weariness about Steve Howe, but when he's in 'the zone' and gurning away as only he can, he is still a delight to watch and hear. Alan White kept things ticking over, but nothing more really. Geoff Downes was only OK, even on his own material, apart from 'Cans...' which he nailed. Jon Davison seemed quite tired, and that showed in his performance which lacked the spark that I'd seen in him on the last tour. Billy Sherwood was a revelation on bass (which was very prominent in the mix throughout), though not as strong for me on vocals: the Yes Choir was a little lacking.
How long the band will continue, I don't know. There are plans to return to Europe next year to play parts 1&4 of 'Tales from Topographic Oceans', and 2018 would be the band's 50th Anniversary. All good things must come to an end: has Yes's time come? The music will still live on, but how often can the band that plays it change and still be 'Yes'?
Thursday, 6 August 2015
Farewell to Sheffield
The Methodist ministry is, by its very nature, an itinerant one. Mr Wesley's ordained preachers were never meant to stay in one place for long, and, however settled one may be in a place, one knows that there will come a time to move on. For me that time has now come, and after 11 years in Sheffield the stressful process of uprooting is here.
All such moves are hard - on the minister, their family, and on the churches - as relationships, attachments and familiarities change and dissolve. All of my moves have been so, for a number of reasons, particularly the one that brought us here, as my leaving was not the most pleasant, and the experience left me with numerous 'issues' that took many years to resolve themselves. But this parting seems to be hitting me hardest of all of them.
One reason is the relationships that we as a family have built up - or re-established - here over the past 11 years. Jude, my wife, was born here: in fact the house she was born into is only about 400 yards from where we currently live. Her brothers still live here, as well as members of the wider family, and old friends from school and church. This is 'home' to her. It was in this city that mine and Jude's relationship began, developed and, 27 years ago, was celebrated in marriage. Our two sons - boys of 13 & 11 when we came here - are now men of 24 & 22. This is the place, above all the places we have lived, that they now call 'home', and leaving children to forge their own lives is never easy for a parent, but that we must do.
The churches to whom, and with whom, I have ministered, are another reason for this parting being hard. As I have mentioned, I was not in a 'good place' when we arrived in 2004, but the love, care, support and prayers of God's people have pulled me through and, I believe, have made me a better minister as a result. It's not always been an easy ride over those years, either for me or them, but the good people of Stanwood, Rivelin Glen (latterly Hall Park Head), Stannington, Dungworth, Walkley and (principally, as they are the only congregation that I've been associated with for the entirety of my time here) Wesley Hall have shown me such love and support that I will always cherish and remember with great affection.
One thing that has amazed and appalled me in equal measure is the amount of junk that we have accumulated in our time here: junk that has now been recycled, charity-shopped or shredded. I hope that, having de-cluttered quite savagely, we can keep the amount to a minimum in future.
And so we move on:. a move that, for my sake as much as for the churches, is needed. We are both ready for and in need of fresh challenges and stimulations to bring out and develop the gifts that God had given us. I leave one beautiful part of God's world for another, and as a Yorkshireman move back into 'exile' after 17 years back in 'God's own county', as we depart for Kendal and the Lake District. There there will be new geography to get to know; new people and situations to familiarise myself with; and new responsibilities as I take on the role of Superintendent Minister for the first time - a job, if I'm honest, I have coveted for a number of years, and one for which I am, perhaps, only just ready. I trust that, as always, God's timing is perfect. We'll see!
So, goodbye Sheffield, the City of Steel, a city on the move.
All such moves are hard - on the minister, their family, and on the churches - as relationships, attachments and familiarities change and dissolve. All of my moves have been so, for a number of reasons, particularly the one that brought us here, as my leaving was not the most pleasant, and the experience left me with numerous 'issues' that took many years to resolve themselves. But this parting seems to be hitting me hardest of all of them.
One reason is the relationships that we as a family have built up - or re-established - here over the past 11 years. Jude, my wife, was born here: in fact the house she was born into is only about 400 yards from where we currently live. Her brothers still live here, as well as members of the wider family, and old friends from school and church. This is 'home' to her. It was in this city that mine and Jude's relationship began, developed and, 27 years ago, was celebrated in marriage. Our two sons - boys of 13 & 11 when we came here - are now men of 24 & 22. This is the place, above all the places we have lived, that they now call 'home', and leaving children to forge their own lives is never easy for a parent, but that we must do.
The churches to whom, and with whom, I have ministered, are another reason for this parting being hard. As I have mentioned, I was not in a 'good place' when we arrived in 2004, but the love, care, support and prayers of God's people have pulled me through and, I believe, have made me a better minister as a result. It's not always been an easy ride over those years, either for me or them, but the good people of Stanwood, Rivelin Glen (latterly Hall Park Head), Stannington, Dungworth, Walkley and (principally, as they are the only congregation that I've been associated with for the entirety of my time here) Wesley Hall have shown me such love and support that I will always cherish and remember with great affection.
One thing that has amazed and appalled me in equal measure is the amount of junk that we have accumulated in our time here: junk that has now been recycled, charity-shopped or shredded. I hope that, having de-cluttered quite savagely, we can keep the amount to a minimum in future.
And so we move on:. a move that, for my sake as much as for the churches, is needed. We are both ready for and in need of fresh challenges and stimulations to bring out and develop the gifts that God had given us. I leave one beautiful part of God's world for another, and as a Yorkshireman move back into 'exile' after 17 years back in 'God's own county', as we depart for Kendal and the Lake District. There there will be new geography to get to know; new people and situations to familiarise myself with; and new responsibilities as I take on the role of Superintendent Minister for the first time - a job, if I'm honest, I have coveted for a number of years, and one for which I am, perhaps, only just ready. I trust that, as always, God's timing is perfect. We'll see!
So, goodbye Sheffield, the City of Steel, a city on the move.
Monday, 27 July 2015
A month of Transitions
I'm conscious that things have been quiet on here in recent weeks. This is probably because they've been far from quiet elsewhere!
July 2015 will be one of those months that we remember as a family for a number of reasons. Here's just a snapshot.
Mike & Nadine's Wedding
On 4th July our eldest son, Mike, married Nadine at St Thomas Philadelphia Church in Sheffield. It was a wonderful day, full of love and faith, and was a beautiful way to begin their life together.
The service was a perfect expression of their own personalities, with hymns, songs and readings chosen with care, and a particularly moving time when friends from church stood and prayed with and for them both.
After the service drinks and cake were available for everyone there, before the photos were taken. Then we all departed for the reception.
The menu was themed around the honeymoon destinations: so we had paella from Spain, crépes from France, and wine and lemonade from Italy, with much dancing and conversation to follow. A truly wonderful day!
A Slight Scare!
About a week after the wedding, when I should have been preaching at one of my churches, I spent the morning sat with Jude, my wife, in A&E as she recovered from a 'minor cardiac incident'. The scariest part of it was that, in order to get her 'ticker' working properly, they had to stop it and start it again! Not something either of us wants to go through again in a hurry!
The Big 5-0
Thankfully by last Friday Jude was back (almost) to normal, and was able to celebrate a landmark birthday. She had wanted to have a party - who doesn't? - and wanted a theme, which she'd narrowed down to a choice of two. Thankfully '50 Shades...' lost out to 'Hawaii 5-0', and loud shirts, grass skirts and fruit punch (with or without rum) was the order of the day. The weather was a bit of a let-down for the BBQ, but we went ahead anyway, and a great time was had by all.
Farewells
The last couple of weekends have been spent in the sometimes painful task of saying farewell, as Jude & I prepare to leave the city that has been our home for the past 11 years and move to Kendal in Cumbria.
On Sunday 19th we gathered in the evening at Stephen Hill church for the formal farewell to four of us who are leaving the Sheffield Circuit (2 retiring, 2 to other appointments). It was lovely to see people from right across the city come together to worship God and give thanks for the varied ministries of the four of us, and it was a wonderful service, put together by our 2 least experienced Presbyters - a great job, Katie & Will!
Then yesterday, 26th, came my final service, at Wesley Hall. These are always the hardest ones to plan, lead and get through. There was a wonderful turn-out from both the congregations that I minister with, as well as one or two from other churches in the area. Mike (as above) led us in sung worship for about 20 minutes in a very powerful and wonderful way - it was something I'd always wanted him to do at Wesley Hall. I preached from Ephesians 6 - "Finally", and then we shared in a liturgy (which I 'borrowed' from a Lutheran Church in Minnesota, and adapted) where both I and the congregation gave thanks, asked for forgiveness, and let go of each other, assuring each of our prayers.
Quite out of the blue, there then came a presentation, which was generous both in words and in gifts: things which I will treasure as a memento of some of my best years in ministry so far. All there is left for us to do now is shredding and packing, before we embark - without the boys for the first time - on the next stage of our journey.
July 2015 will be one of those months that we remember as a family for a number of reasons. Here's just a snapshot.
Mike & Nadine's Wedding
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| Mike & Nadine |
The service was a perfect expression of their own personalities, with hymns, songs and readings chosen with care, and a particularly moving time when friends from church stood and prayed with and for them both.
After the service drinks and cake were available for everyone there, before the photos were taken. Then we all departed for the reception.
The menu was themed around the honeymoon destinations: so we had paella from Spain, crépes from France, and wine and lemonade from Italy, with much dancing and conversation to follow. A truly wonderful day!
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| Don't we scrub up well! |
A Slight Scare!
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| The Birthday Girl! |
The Big 5-0
Thankfully by last Friday Jude was back (almost) to normal, and was able to celebrate a landmark birthday. She had wanted to have a party - who doesn't? - and wanted a theme, which she'd narrowed down to a choice of two. Thankfully '50 Shades...' lost out to 'Hawaii 5-0', and loud shirts, grass skirts and fruit punch (with or without rum) was the order of the day. The weather was a bit of a let-down for the BBQ, but we went ahead anyway, and a great time was had by all.
Farewells
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| Formal Farewells |
On Sunday 19th we gathered in the evening at Stephen Hill church for the formal farewell to four of us who are leaving the Sheffield Circuit (2 retiring, 2 to other appointments). It was lovely to see people from right across the city come together to worship God and give thanks for the varied ministries of the four of us, and it was a wonderful service, put together by our 2 least experienced Presbyters - a great job, Katie & Will!
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| Mike leading |
Quite out of the blue, there then came a presentation, which was generous both in words and in gifts: things which I will treasure as a memento of some of my best years in ministry so far. All there is left for us to do now is shredding and packing, before we embark - without the boys for the first time - on the next stage of our journey.
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| Final words and parting gifts |
Monday, 22 June 2015
An Evening with Andy Tillison
About a year ago, my wife, Jude, had an idea for an exhibition at Wesley Hall, one of the churches I minister in, based around some mixed media panels produced by Sue Symons around the theme of Creation, and the myths in the first chapters of the book of Genesis. As part of this we explored the possibility of arranging a few concerts and making it more of a mini Festival.
A few months ago I happened to get into a conversation with Andy Tillison at a CRS gig in Maltby (as you do), and suggested the possibility of him maybe doing a gig for us as part of the Festival, and I was delighted when he agreed.
That concert happened last Saturday (20th June), the night before Andy's 56th birthday, and despite some gloomy predictions from a number of us, around 40 people from as far away as Darlington & Basingstoke gathered for the occasion. Andy's set-up was quite small and unimposing: a couple of keyboards on one side and the church's Beckstein on the other, set out on a level with the audience, who sat quite close and gave the whole event an intimate feel that one seldom finds at gigs today.
The set consisted of a melange of material from various stages of Andy's musical journey, as well as a couple of covers and some new, improvised stuff too. We began with a rendition of 'The Music that Died Alone' from The Tangent's debut album, which moved then into a rousing cover of Rory Gallagher's 'Bullfrog Blues'. Next was a piece of improvised electronica, inventively entitled 'It's a Bit Like Pink Floyd', and which did exactly what it said on the tin.
Between the songs, Andy regaled us with anecdotes and some of the stories behind the tunes. One was about the next track, a beautiful piece from Andy's 'Electric Symphonia #2' (my album of the year in 2014) dedicated to his mother, who taught him to play piano - 'Andante for Dorothy'. We then delved back into Andy's past with a couple of songs from his days with Po90: 'Dead on a Car Park Floor' from 'Afterlifecycle' and 'Blues for Lear', but sandwiched between these was another piece of electronica: a tribute to the BBC children's programme 'The Clangers' which somehow managed to incorporate Vangelis' 'Chariots of Fire'!
After a break, we began the second half back in Tangent country with a song that Andy hadn't planned to perform, but did anyway - GPS Culture. There then followed an excellent piece of spontaneity involving extended bass and drum solos (all played on the keyboards, of course), before we returned to the Multiplex album for 'Vivace'.
One item on the set list had been flagged up beforehand, and had been hotly anticipated by many of those present, and it provided a fitting climax to the main set - a solo rendition (with bass and drums pre-recorded) of the epic 'In Earnest', the emotional story of a man with dementia whose only lasting memories were of his time as a wartime pilot. A great song, and beautifully performed: there were people there who were new to Andy's music who were visibly moved by the song.
Persuaded to play one more tune, Andy gave us a kind of lounge jazz instrumental version of 'Three Times a Lady' which made it feel like one of the old standards, and that drew the evening to a close. I was looking for something that would help us to celebrate creation and creativity, and Andy gave us that in spades. He is one of the most creative musicians I know, and has such a down-to-earth, unassuming way of engaging with an audience, and this endeared him to a crowd who, to be fair, were on the whole already 'with him' from the start. But even those new to his music left moved and thoroughly entertained by the occasion. A truly magnificent night: as Emma Roebuck said afterwards as her review of the night: "You should have been there!"
Monday, 20 April 2015
111 years of worship & mission
Last evening I attended a service at one of our local churches which is due to close next week. The congregation of Horizon Methodist Church, situated in Hunter's Bar on the west side of Sheffield, had taken the decision, after much heart-searching, to call time on the life of worship, service & mission in that place.
It was, some might think strangely, a joyous occasion. A congregation had gathered from across the city and packed the church to capacity, and the opening word from the Minister, Rev Gareth Jones, summed up the emotion evident in the place - "Wow!"
We sang; we reflected; we gave thanks and confessed; we looked back, let go and moved on. And the occasion had a certain poignancy for me, as I had not only preached in this church on a few occasions but, for a brief time back in 1987 when I lived in the YMCA that was situated just up the road from the church, I had myself been a member of the church (it was known as Endcliffe Methodist Church then) - the second of only 3 churches of which I have formally been a member. The first (my home church, Grove Road Methodist in Harrogate) closed sadly in 2009: now Endcliffe/ Horizon is closing, and with it another part of my past.
Yet we move on, praising God for all that is past, and trusting God for all that's to come.
It was, some might think strangely, a joyous occasion. A congregation had gathered from across the city and packed the church to capacity, and the opening word from the Minister, Rev Gareth Jones, summed up the emotion evident in the place - "Wow!"
We sang; we reflected; we gave thanks and confessed; we looked back, let go and moved on. And the occasion had a certain poignancy for me, as I had not only preached in this church on a few occasions but, for a brief time back in 1987 when I lived in the YMCA that was situated just up the road from the church, I had myself been a member of the church (it was known as Endcliffe Methodist Church then) - the second of only 3 churches of which I have formally been a member. The first (my home church, Grove Road Methodist in Harrogate) closed sadly in 2009: now Endcliffe/ Horizon is closing, and with it another part of my past.
Yet we move on, praising God for all that is past, and trusting God for all that's to come.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
One Circuit for Sheffield: how goes it?
Just over a year ago, and after much discussion and deliberation, the Methodist church in Sheffield amalgamated its then eight circuits into one 'mega-circuit' covering the whole of the city, as well as parts of north Derbyshire around Dronfield. For anyone unfamiliar with the ways of Methodism, a circuit is a geographical grouping of churches around a team of ministers for the purposes of mutual support, encouragement, mission and worship. The 'new' Sheffield Circuit (how long will we continue to call it 'new'?) brings together 64 congregations with an ordained staff team of around two dozen and other lay staff in pastoral, missional and administrative roles.
The principal reason stated for bringing this huge edifice about was to enhance and enable the mission of the church throughout the city. How has it gone so far? What does it look like from the perspective of one of those ordained ministers?
In terms of the ordinary, day-to-day life of the local congregations for which I have responsibility, very little seems to have changed. Life and ministry goes on pretty much as it did before. There have been some different faces leading worship on occasions, but otherwise very little else is different. From my own perspective, I have preached in a number of different churches, as far north as High Green and as far south as Coal Aston.
One of the priorities of the new circuit has been to conduct a full and comprehensive review of all of the worshipping communities within the circuit over the course of 3 years. The first phase of this is drawing to a close and we wait to see what proposals come from this. I hope that this does not simply degenerate into finding reasons to persuade chapels to close - to 'rationalise our resources' - but that it takes bold decisions to enable the life and mission of the church to flourish where it can within the city by ensuring that the necessary resources are provided where and when they are needed.
For those 'involved' in the life of the circuit, there have been some obvious changes. Meetings are bigger (and have been considerably longer at times, due to residual business from the previous circuits), which can at times stifle debate and discussion, but new ways of doing business are being explored which hopefully can address this. Communication - particularly making those who have previously been involved in the strategic planning in the circuit as members of the Leadership Team aware of what is being planned/ discussed/ thought about - has been patchy at best, and many of us have felt disconnected from the life of the circuit. This is being addressed, and we wait to see how effective it will prove in helping the whole circuit to feel that it is involved in the future direction of the circuit. Much business, it seems, is still being driven by the four Co-Superintendents, though this may simply be my perception.
My primary concern with this large circuit is that it may very well lead to local churches becoming more detached from one another, as the 'centre' becomes large, nebulous and distant: that we will lose our essential Methodist connectedness in all but name. 'Circuit identity' has always been an issue throughout my 25 years of ministry, and this can only be exacerbated in a larger grouping. Our corporate acts of worship, to wave farewell to, and to welcome, ministers have been inspiring times, but there is a need to ensure that behind that celebratory facade there is an underlying unity holding it all together.
We have come some way in the last 12 months to beginning to achieve this: let's pray that we continue, otherwise this will simply become another machine draining resources from local mission rather than investing those resources in the life of God's Kingdom.
The principal reason stated for bringing this huge edifice about was to enhance and enable the mission of the church throughout the city. How has it gone so far? What does it look like from the perspective of one of those ordained ministers?
In terms of the ordinary, day-to-day life of the local congregations for which I have responsibility, very little seems to have changed. Life and ministry goes on pretty much as it did before. There have been some different faces leading worship on occasions, but otherwise very little else is different. From my own perspective, I have preached in a number of different churches, as far north as High Green and as far south as Coal Aston.
One of the priorities of the new circuit has been to conduct a full and comprehensive review of all of the worshipping communities within the circuit over the course of 3 years. The first phase of this is drawing to a close and we wait to see what proposals come from this. I hope that this does not simply degenerate into finding reasons to persuade chapels to close - to 'rationalise our resources' - but that it takes bold decisions to enable the life and mission of the church to flourish where it can within the city by ensuring that the necessary resources are provided where and when they are needed.
For those 'involved' in the life of the circuit, there have been some obvious changes. Meetings are bigger (and have been considerably longer at times, due to residual business from the previous circuits), which can at times stifle debate and discussion, but new ways of doing business are being explored which hopefully can address this. Communication - particularly making those who have previously been involved in the strategic planning in the circuit as members of the Leadership Team aware of what is being planned/ discussed/ thought about - has been patchy at best, and many of us have felt disconnected from the life of the circuit. This is being addressed, and we wait to see how effective it will prove in helping the whole circuit to feel that it is involved in the future direction of the circuit. Much business, it seems, is still being driven by the four Co-Superintendents, though this may simply be my perception.
My primary concern with this large circuit is that it may very well lead to local churches becoming more detached from one another, as the 'centre' becomes large, nebulous and distant: that we will lose our essential Methodist connectedness in all but name. 'Circuit identity' has always been an issue throughout my 25 years of ministry, and this can only be exacerbated in a larger grouping. Our corporate acts of worship, to wave farewell to, and to welcome, ministers have been inspiring times, but there is a need to ensure that behind that celebratory facade there is an underlying unity holding it all together.
We have come some way in the last 12 months to beginning to achieve this: let's pray that we continue, otherwise this will simply become another machine draining resources from local mission rather than investing those resources in the life of God's Kingdom.
Friday, 9 May 2014
Rick Wakeman - Sheffield City Hall 8/5/14
If you're anything like me, there will be certain recordings that resonate with different periods and events in your life. One of my 'resonating' pieces is Rick Wakeman's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth', which evokes for me lazy summers in my mid teens lounging about at my mate's house, beginning to discover the many and varied delights of music. This was one of the first albums that I listened to as a whole, and one of its great attractions was, and is, that it tells a story.
When news broke that Rick was going to perform the piece again, in its original intended form (rather than the truncated one that his record company, A&M, had insisted on back in 1974), I was delighted. When it transpired that one of the venues for the tour would be Sheffield, I rejoiced greatly with great joy!
And so, on Thursday 8th May 2014, 10 days short of Rick's 65th birthday, we gathered. The first part of the show was Rick on his own, in grey suit and t-shirt, telling (with his characteristic sardonic wit) stories from his early life in music and the circumstances that led to his conception of the project. We were treated too to renditions of songs from his early session playing, including Cat Stevens' 'Morning has Broken', sung by the English Chamber Choir, and Bowie's 'Life on Mars', performed by Haley Sanderson.
After a 20 minute break, the main event unfolded, as the stage filled up with not only the English Chamber Choir but also the Orion Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Guy Protheroe, and Rick's 'house band' - the English Rock Ensemble. And centre-stage, Rick's keyboard rig, and the man himself, this time resplendent in silver-sequined navy velvet cape. The music was tight throughout, and everyone involved seemed to exude an air of absolute pleasure in the performance. Orchestra and band slotted together seamlessly, with all three - Dave Colquhoun on guitar, Matt Pegg on bass, and Tony Fernandez on drums - giving masterful displays. Rick, of course, was annoyingly brilliant, with a fluency and dexterity that still puts many a younger player to shame.
As I said earlier, this is a piece of music that tells a story, and the narration of that tale was in the hands of (in words) the actor Philip Franks, who gave the evening a certain gravitas with his mellow tones, and (in song) Rick's long-time collaborator and contributor to the original recording, Ashley Holt, and the afore-mentioned Hayley Sanderson, one of the regular singers on 'Strictly Come Dancing'. I must confess that I have always had one or two issues with Ashley Holt's voice: he has a great range and equally great power, but always seems to be straining to me, and this just grates a little. Haley's singing style is a little easier on the ear, but both of them brought their own contirbution to a great show.
For the encore we were treated to a kind of reprise of the work, with sections from the later follow-up piece, 'Return to the Centre of the Earth', which allowed some space for the musicians in both the orchestra and band to express themselves a little more freely. After just over 2 hours of music, the crowd left having enjoyed a musical treat. I hope that there will be more to come from this highly-talented and urbane musician.
When news broke that Rick was going to perform the piece again, in its original intended form (rather than the truncated one that his record company, A&M, had insisted on back in 1974), I was delighted. When it transpired that one of the venues for the tour would be Sheffield, I rejoiced greatly with great joy!
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| Guy, Rick, Philip (behind), Hayley & Ashley |
Thursday, 8 May 2014
Yes - Sheffield City Hall 7/5/14
For the second time in three years the stage of Sheffield City Hall was graced by one of the great bands of the Progressive era and the progressive genre - Yes. Last time they toured here they were showcasing their latest album, 'Fly From Here', and were fronted by Beniot David, but time and the line-up of the band has moved on.
Although they have just finished recording new material (due to be released next month), Yes are currently embarking on a series of concerts focusing on material from their heyday in the 1970s: their third album, 1970's 'The Yes Album'; their fifth, 1973's 'Close to the Edge'; and their 8th, 1977's 'Going For the One'. As examples of the progressive genre, these three recordings are somewhat seminal - Close to the Edge is considered by many to be the best record of the classic progressive era. But have they stood the test of time? And how will the current personnel in the band handle these songs? These and other questions were answered this evening.
For the first time in my gig-going life I knew beforehand what the band would be playing: what I didn't know was what the order would be. I had speculated with my son, James (who accompanied me to the gig) before we set off as to how they might structure the evening. We were both sure that the best way to present this material would be in strict chronological order, which would give a rousing opener in 'Yours Is No Disgrace' and a great climax with 'Awaken'. However, that was not to be.
The show opened in good, traditional Yes fashion, with the closing movement of Stravinsky's 'Firebird', with the house lights dimmed and the stage in almost darkness. The band entered as the crescendo built, to rapturous applause from the good, lively and knowledgeable crowd, and then we were presented with the sound of bird-song and running water as we eased gently into 'Close to the Edge' - the least rousing of the opening tracks available. I must confess that I was a little underwhelmed to begin with: there seemed to be just something missing, that I couldn't quite put my finger on at the time, but things soon picked up, and the level of skill, virtuosity and sheer enjoyment hardly wavered throughout the evening after that. Close to the Edge was followed by Going for the One, and after the interval, The Yes Album and the obligatory encore rendition of 'Roundabout'
Much has been said about Jon Davison since he stepped into Jon Anderson's shoes following the departure of Benoit David from the band, but I have to say (and this was echoed around the bar during the interval) that he handled the material and the vocal range almost perfectly. At times he was indistinguishable from Anderson - which was not something that could be said of David. The other member of the band not in the 'classic' line-up - Geoff Downes - was OK for me, nothing more. There were times when I struggled to pick out his keyboard lines in the mix, and also times - particularly in the opening bars of 'Awaken' - where he played just a little too fast for me. Having said that, Awaken was one of the stand-out tracks of the evening for me, along with a stunning version of Turn of the Century, which brought goose-bumps to me.
For a band that have been playing together in some form or another for over 45 years, Yes continue to be a tight musical unit, and can still play these classic songs with power, panache and absolute joy. Alan White, as ever, provides the solid base for the music over which is laid the showmanship of Chris Squire and the virtuosity of Steve Howe, who at 67 shows no signs of flagging and who, through 2½ hours on stage, barely if ever played a note out of place.
This was a great night, and I hope to see many more.
Although they have just finished recording new material (due to be released next month), Yes are currently embarking on a series of concerts focusing on material from their heyday in the 1970s: their third album, 1970's 'The Yes Album'; their fifth, 1973's 'Close to the Edge'; and their 8th, 1977's 'Going For the One'. As examples of the progressive genre, these three recordings are somewhat seminal - Close to the Edge is considered by many to be the best record of the classic progressive era. But have they stood the test of time? And how will the current personnel in the band handle these songs? These and other questions were answered this evening.
For the first time in my gig-going life I knew beforehand what the band would be playing: what I didn't know was what the order would be. I had speculated with my son, James (who accompanied me to the gig) before we set off as to how they might structure the evening. We were both sure that the best way to present this material would be in strict chronological order, which would give a rousing opener in 'Yours Is No Disgrace' and a great climax with 'Awaken'. However, that was not to be.
The show opened in good, traditional Yes fashion, with the closing movement of Stravinsky's 'Firebird', with the house lights dimmed and the stage in almost darkness. The band entered as the crescendo built, to rapturous applause from the good, lively and knowledgeable crowd, and then we were presented with the sound of bird-song and running water as we eased gently into 'Close to the Edge' - the least rousing of the opening tracks available. I must confess that I was a little underwhelmed to begin with: there seemed to be just something missing, that I couldn't quite put my finger on at the time, but things soon picked up, and the level of skill, virtuosity and sheer enjoyment hardly wavered throughout the evening after that. Close to the Edge was followed by Going for the One, and after the interval, The Yes Album and the obligatory encore rendition of 'Roundabout'Much has been said about Jon Davison since he stepped into Jon Anderson's shoes following the departure of Benoit David from the band, but I have to say (and this was echoed around the bar during the interval) that he handled the material and the vocal range almost perfectly. At times he was indistinguishable from Anderson - which was not something that could be said of David. The other member of the band not in the 'classic' line-up - Geoff Downes - was OK for me, nothing more. There were times when I struggled to pick out his keyboard lines in the mix, and also times - particularly in the opening bars of 'Awaken' - where he played just a little too fast for me. Having said that, Awaken was one of the stand-out tracks of the evening for me, along with a stunning version of Turn of the Century, which brought goose-bumps to me.
 |
| Chris Squire's triple-neck |
This was a great night, and I hope to see many more.
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Mama - O2 Academy Sheffield 26 April 2014
A number of things happen when you reach a 'certain age'. One is that you become increasingly difficult to shop for for birthdays (there is a limit to how many socks you can own), and another is that the bands you like from your youth are ageing as rapidly as you are and are therefore not likely to be as active as they used to (unless they're the Rolling Stones). Yesterday was my 53rd birthday, and I faced both of these problems head-on as I had suggested to my wife that it might be nice to go and see Mama, an 'all era Genesis tribute band' - which may be the nearest I now get to seeing my favourite band from my teens.
The venue was intimate, shall we say: we were seated at a table near the back and were no more than 10 or 12 feet from the stage. A reasonable crowd for the venue - around 40-50 people - gathered. Most seemed knowledgeable of the original material and could be heard singing along, even when not energetically encouraged to do so by front man and vocalist John Wilkinson. The light show was good for a small venue, though I was a little disappointed by the sound quality in places.
The set lasted 2½ hours without a break other than the obligatory one before the encore, and was as follows:
A cursory glance through the set-list will witness that there was very little material from the Peter Gabriel era of the band: essentially three songs, with the introduction from a fourth, and instrumental sections from a further three. The rest of the material is heavily skewed towards the 80s material of the 3-piece band of Collins, Banks & Rutherford, and what they did sing from the 'classic' period of the band were all songs that Collins had performed on their live albums (and almost exactly as he had performed them, in terms of medleys and vocal improvisations). Now I am willing to concede that what they played was from the more commercially-successful, and therefore better-known albums, and that the Gabriel-era of the band only lasted for 6 of their roughly 40 years of active life, but as a purist I would perhaps have liked to have seen more from those formative years from a 'all-era' tribute band.
Having said that, it was good to see material from Gabriel, Hackett and Collins's solo careers included, and it was to be fair a great night: I was singing along at full throttle with the rest of them for most of the night! If you enjoy the music that Genesis made particularly from the 80s onwards, then check this band out: it may be the only opportunity you get to see it performed live these days.
The venue was intimate, shall we say: we were seated at a table near the back and were no more than 10 or 12 feet from the stage. A reasonable crowd for the venue - around 40-50 people - gathered. Most seemed knowledgeable of the original material and could be heard singing along, even when not energetically encouraged to do so by front man and vocalist John Wilkinson. The light show was good for a small venue, though I was a little disappointed by the sound quality in places.
The set lasted 2½ hours without a break other than the obligatory one before the encore, and was as follows:
Duke Medley (Behind the Lines, Duchess, Guide Vocal)Musically the songs were very tight and true to the originals, as one would expect from a tribute band. Brothers Mark & John Comish did admirable work on guitar and keyboards respectively, reproducing Hackett & Banks's riffs and solos spotlessly, and Dave Perry (bass) & James Cooper (drums) provided a solid rhythm section throughout. Vocally John Wilkinson sings Phil Collins's songs very well, with a good range and a powerful voice - he clearly models his own singing style on Collins. This fits well with the choice of material, and this is where my only gripe with the show surfaces.
Turn it on Again
The Carpet Crawl (with introduction from Dancing with the Moonlit Knight)
No Son of Mine
Ripples
Solsbury Hill
Land of Confusion
Follow You, Follow Me
Domino
Mama
Dodo/ Lurker
Abacab
Fading Lights
Misunderstanding
Spectral Mornings
In the Air Tonight
In The Cage Medley (In the Cage, Cinema Show, Slippermen)
Afterglow
Encore - I Know What I Like (including That's All, Illegal Alien, Your Own Special Way, Follow You, Follow Me, Stagnation)
A cursory glance through the set-list will witness that there was very little material from the Peter Gabriel era of the band: essentially three songs, with the introduction from a fourth, and instrumental sections from a further three. The rest of the material is heavily skewed towards the 80s material of the 3-piece band of Collins, Banks & Rutherford, and what they did sing from the 'classic' period of the band were all songs that Collins had performed on their live albums (and almost exactly as he had performed them, in terms of medleys and vocal improvisations). Now I am willing to concede that what they played was from the more commercially-successful, and therefore better-known albums, and that the Gabriel-era of the band only lasted for 6 of their roughly 40 years of active life, but as a purist I would perhaps have liked to have seen more from those formative years from a 'all-era' tribute band.
Having said that, it was good to see material from Gabriel, Hackett and Collins's solo careers included, and it was to be fair a great night: I was singing along at full throttle with the rest of them for most of the night! If you enjoy the music that Genesis made particularly from the 80s onwards, then check this band out: it may be the only opportunity you get to see it performed live these days.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
What does the Lord require of you?
All-age worship again this morning at Wesley Hall, and this month we focused on Micah & Matthew.
The theme for our time together came from Micah 6:8 - "What does the Lord require of you?" We set the scene by focusing first on worship, singing 'Blessed be the name of the Lord', with everyone (more or less) joining in with the actions during the chorus.
Then the kids helped out by assembling a jigsaw of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-12 (you can possibly just make it out on the GoPak table to the right of the picture).
We then read the Beatitudes together, before Liz led us in a short quiz, which took us to the first part of the answer to the question posed at the start of the service, looking at characters from films and cartoons and asking the question 'Are they acting justly?' Some were easy (Lady Macbeth, the Grinch); others not quite so easy (Severus Snape, Fantastic Mr Fox, Robin Hood), and this helped us to think about what it means to 'act justly'.
We then sang 'Blessed be your name', before exploring the next part of the answer: 'to Love Mercy'. Not an easy concept to explain at the best of times, but we tried to do it using selected clips from Disney's 'Beauty & the Beast', through which Neil lead us into looking at how the Beast was changed and learnt the power of mercy and love which eventually brought about his transformation.
After another song ('Brother, sister, let me serve you') we spent some time in prayer. As a focus for our prayers we turned to the third part of the answer to our original question: 'Walking humbly with our God.' Everyone had been given, as they came into church, a pair of paper feet, and we used these to focus on people or situations where there was a need to walk humbly, or where people's walks were hard and problematic. We were invited to write these situations on the feet, to keep one with us for when we went home, and to bring the other one and lay it out at the front of the church so that they were all leading to the Cross. We rounded the prayers off with the Lord's Prayer together before our final hymn - "We are marching in the light of God".
The final act was Sue reading again the Beatitudes in a modern version (from Roots magazine), before drinks and biscuits were consumed.
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| Neil talking about the Beatitudes |
Then the kids helped out by assembling a jigsaw of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-12 (you can possibly just make it out on the GoPak table to the right of the picture).
We then read the Beatitudes together, before Liz led us in a short quiz, which took us to the first part of the answer to the question posed at the start of the service, looking at characters from films and cartoons and asking the question 'Are they acting justly?' Some were easy (Lady Macbeth, the Grinch); others not quite so easy (Severus Snape, Fantastic Mr Fox, Robin Hood), and this helped us to think about what it means to 'act justly'.
 |
| Liz's quiz in full flow |
After another song ('Brother, sister, let me serve you') we spent some time in prayer. As a focus for our prayers we turned to the third part of the answer to our original question: 'Walking humbly with our God.' Everyone had been given, as they came into church, a pair of paper feet, and we used these to focus on people or situations where there was a need to walk humbly, or where people's walks were hard and problematic. We were invited to write these situations on the feet, to keep one with us for when we went home, and to bring the other one and lay it out at the front of the church so that they were all leading to the Cross. We rounded the prayers off with the Lord's Prayer together before our final hymn - "We are marching in the light of God".
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| Sue draws everything together at the end |
Sunday, 5 January 2014
A work of the people - Communion from scratch
We started January at Wesley Hall Crookes, as we do every month, with an all-age worship service, but this month it was slightly different in that it involved Communion as well. We have a team of people who take responsibility for planing all-age worship once a month, and in planning the service, we thought about how we could perhaps make the service a little different and more interactive, to involve the children as well as the adults who were there.
Instead of working round a pre-prepared liturgy we decided to build our own from scratch, working from the premise that the root of 'liturgy' is 'the work of the people'. So we came to the service with nothing concrete planned, other than a choice of songs to sing: no prayers, no bread and no 'wine'. We built the service from that.
The church benefits from having a reasonably flexible worship space, and we had arranged the room so that the Communion table was in the centre, with chairs arranged around it. Two projectors were set up so that words for songs and video clips could be seen by everyone.
We began with singing (after announcements and a brief explanation of what we were hoping would happen during our time together), after which we began to prepare the bread and 'wine' for later. Dough for the bread had been prepared earlier, and this was passed round the congregation for everyone to knead (having cleansed their hands). Then grapes were handed out, and everyone was invited to squeeze their grape into the chalice. Thus everyone present had contributed to the Body & Blood of Christ that we would share later: they had all (literally) had a hand in the communion. As we passed a bowl and towel around the congregation, so that hands could be washed, we reminded one another of the cleansing that is ours through the death & resurrection of Jesus that this meal signifies. The bread then disappeared to the oven to bake.
After another song, we divided the congregation into six groups with pointers for composing our prayer of thanksgiving for use later, focusing on Creation, the World, our Community, Family & Friends, the Gifts we all have, and God's gift to us of Jesus. We sang again, and then shared prayers for others as boxes with prayer pointers & requests were passed round the congregation, followed by the Lord's Prayer together.
After the offering had been received, and the bread, still hot from the oven, had been placed on the table, representatives from each group shared their portion of the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving. We then shared the Narrative of Institution through a video clip of the Last Supper from 'The Bible' TV mini-series, before the bread and 'wine' were shared around the congregation. One final song, reminding us of our place in God's family, before joining hands to share the Grace together.
Instead of working round a pre-prepared liturgy we decided to build our own from scratch, working from the premise that the root of 'liturgy' is 'the work of the people'. So we came to the service with nothing concrete planned, other than a choice of songs to sing: no prayers, no bread and no 'wine'. We built the service from that.
The church benefits from having a reasonably flexible worship space, and we had arranged the room so that the Communion table was in the centre, with chairs arranged around it. Two projectors were set up so that words for songs and video clips could be seen by everyone.
We began with singing (after announcements and a brief explanation of what we were hoping would happen during our time together), after which we began to prepare the bread and 'wine' for later. Dough for the bread had been prepared earlier, and this was passed round the congregation for everyone to knead (having cleansed their hands). Then grapes were handed out, and everyone was invited to squeeze their grape into the chalice. Thus everyone present had contributed to the Body & Blood of Christ that we would share later: they had all (literally) had a hand in the communion. As we passed a bowl and towel around the congregation, so that hands could be washed, we reminded one another of the cleansing that is ours through the death & resurrection of Jesus that this meal signifies. The bread then disappeared to the oven to bake.
After the offering had been received, and the bread, still hot from the oven, had been placed on the table, representatives from each group shared their portion of the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving. We then shared the Narrative of Institution through a video clip of the Last Supper from 'The Bible' TV mini-series, before the bread and 'wine' were shared around the congregation. One final song, reminding us of our place in God's family, before joining hands to share the Grace together.Saturday, 30 November 2013
Oliver @ Sheffield Crucible Theatre
I spent last evening at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the Public Dress Rehearsal of Daniel Evans' new production of 'Oliver'.
Lionel Bart's musical adaptation of Dickens' tale of the underside of Victorian London is a perennial favourite, despite its sometimes difficult subject matter (corruption, domestic abuse & murder feature highly), and it's good to see it revived as the Christmas Show this year.
This was a good, energetic performance with an enthusiastic cast. The singing and choreography were very good (apart from some singers being a touch flat at times) and there were some great comic moments too - almost a touch of pantomime in places, which is perhaps only right for a Christmas production.
It's the songs that make the show, and Evans has included even the lesser-known ones ('I Shall Scream' and 'That's Your Funeral') in this production. The Show-stoppers - 'Food, Glorious Food', 'Oom-Pah-Pah' (the only patch of light, really, in the second act), 'Consider Yourself' and 'You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two' were portrayed with the joy and exuberance you would expect, and the more reflective 'I'm Reviewing the Situation', 'Where is Love?' and the hauntingly beautiful and sadly poignant 'As Long as He Needs Me' brought the necessary seriousness to proceedings.
The cast, both young and older, worked well together and engaged the audience very well. For a dress rehearsal, this was an excellent performance. If you can get a ticket for this show (which runs now until 25th January) do so: you'll be in for a great time!
Lionel Bart's musical adaptation of Dickens' tale of the underside of Victorian London is a perennial favourite, despite its sometimes difficult subject matter (corruption, domestic abuse & murder feature highly), and it's good to see it revived as the Christmas Show this year.
This was a good, energetic performance with an enthusiastic cast. The singing and choreography were very good (apart from some singers being a touch flat at times) and there were some great comic moments too - almost a touch of pantomime in places, which is perhaps only right for a Christmas production.
It's the songs that make the show, and Evans has included even the lesser-known ones ('I Shall Scream' and 'That's Your Funeral') in this production. The Show-stoppers - 'Food, Glorious Food', 'Oom-Pah-Pah' (the only patch of light, really, in the second act), 'Consider Yourself' and 'You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two' were portrayed with the joy and exuberance you would expect, and the more reflective 'I'm Reviewing the Situation', 'Where is Love?' and the hauntingly beautiful and sadly poignant 'As Long as He Needs Me' brought the necessary seriousness to proceedings.
The cast, both young and older, worked well together and engaged the audience very well. For a dress rehearsal, this was an excellent performance. If you can get a ticket for this show (which runs now until 25th January) do so: you'll be in for a great time!
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Steve Hackett - Sheffield City Hall 30 October 2013
It's not often I get excited (just ask my wife), but my anticipation of last night's gig by Steve Hackett was quite high. I had very much enjoyed his reworking of some of Genesis's back catalogue, Genesis Revisited II, which he released last year, and had heard some glowing reports of earlier concerts on this tour. So it was that #2 son James and I found our way to Sheffield City Hall for the penultimate show of the tour.
Sheffield City Hall is quite an intimate venue for an arena that seats around 1,500 people, and our seats on the end of the front row of the circle gave us a great view of the stage. Despite the tickets saying that there was no support act, we were treated to a 30 minute acoustic set from Alan Reed, who entertained us wonderfully with songs about the dangers posed by religion, the Balkans conflict, the Holocaust and (just to cheer us up) the delights of his homeland of Scotland. A brilliant, rousing set, which warmed the crowd up well for the main event.
The set, which stretched to 2 hours 25 minutes with the encores, was made up of songs from the classic period of Genesis's creativity from 1971-76, re-created by the 6-piece band of Steve on guitars & backing vocals, Nad Sylvan on vocals & percussion, Lee Pomeroy on bass, pedals, guitars & backing vocals, Gary O'Toole on drums and vocals, Roger King on keyboards and Rob Townsend on flute, sax, keyboards & percussion. They played as a tight unit, and clearly enjoyed what they were doing - as did the large, knowledgeable and appreciative crowd. These are all highly proficient musicians, and the music was excellent, with some great improvisations in places around the main themes of the songs, and they seemed completely unphased by an apparent keyboard malfunction during 'Blood on the Rooftops'. The music was enhanced by some stunning visuals and a great light show.
The set list:
Dance on a Volcano
Dancing With The Moonlit Night
Fly on a Windshield
Broadway Melody of 1974
The Lamia
The Return of the Giant Hogweed
The Musical Box
Horizons
Blood on the Rooftops
Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers...
...In that Quiet Earth
Afterglow
I Know What I Like
Firth of Fifth (joined by Steve's brother, John for the flute solo)
The Fountain of Salmacis
Supper's Ready
Encore:
Watcher of the Skies
Los Endos (including Slogans from 'Steve's solo album 'Defector')
It was quite poignant to hear something from 'Defector' in this show, as the last time I saw Steve, which was in the same venue, was back in 1980 on the Defector tour. I got to meet him back-stage then (a big thrill for a 19 year-old), and I was fortunate after this gig to attend the after-show and meet Steve, Nad, Lee & Gary (still a big thrill for a 52 year-old!).
A wonderful, unforgettable night with wonderful people.
Sheffield City Hall is quite an intimate venue for an arena that seats around 1,500 people, and our seats on the end of the front row of the circle gave us a great view of the stage. Despite the tickets saying that there was no support act, we were treated to a 30 minute acoustic set from Alan Reed, who entertained us wonderfully with songs about the dangers posed by religion, the Balkans conflict, the Holocaust and (just to cheer us up) the delights of his homeland of Scotland. A brilliant, rousing set, which warmed the crowd up well for the main event.
 |
| Alan Reed |
The set, which stretched to 2 hours 25 minutes with the encores, was made up of songs from the classic period of Genesis's creativity from 1971-76, re-created by the 6-piece band of Steve on guitars & backing vocals, Nad Sylvan on vocals & percussion, Lee Pomeroy on bass, pedals, guitars & backing vocals, Gary O'Toole on drums and vocals, Roger King on keyboards and Rob Townsend on flute, sax, keyboards & percussion. They played as a tight unit, and clearly enjoyed what they were doing - as did the large, knowledgeable and appreciative crowd. These are all highly proficient musicians, and the music was excellent, with some great improvisations in places around the main themes of the songs, and they seemed completely unphased by an apparent keyboard malfunction during 'Blood on the Rooftops'. The music was enhanced by some stunning visuals and a great light show.
The set list:
 |
| Dance on a Volcano |
Dance on a Volcano
Dancing With The Moonlit Night
Fly on a Windshield
Broadway Melody of 1974
The Lamia
The Return of the Giant Hogweed
The Musical Box
Horizons
 |
| Horizons |
Blood on the Rooftops
Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers...
...In that Quiet Earth
Afterglow
I Know What I Like
Firth of Fifth (joined by Steve's brother, John for the flute solo)
 |
| The Hackett brothers during Firth of Fifth |
The Fountain of Salmacis
Supper's Ready
Encore:
Watcher of the Skies
Los Endos (including Slogans from 'Steve's solo album 'Defector')
 |
| Rob, Roger, Nad, Steve, Lee & Gary |
It was quite poignant to hear something from 'Defector' in this show, as the last time I saw Steve, which was in the same venue, was back in 1980 on the Defector tour. I got to meet him back-stage then (a big thrill for a 19 year-old), and I was fortunate after this gig to attend the after-show and meet Steve, Nad, Lee & Gary (still a big thrill for a 52 year-old!).
A wonderful, unforgettable night with wonderful people.
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| Me, Steve & my son, James |
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| Nad Sylvan & me |
Sunday, 1 September 2013
Eight into One
The Methodist Church is a strange animal for those who know how it works, let alone for those who don't. One of its peculiarities is the arrangement of Methodist Churches into Circuits, in which are stationed a number of ministers for the sake of pastoral care, worship and the general life of the church.
Until yesterday, the Methodists of Sheffield (the 4th largest city in the UK) had been arranged into 8 such circuits, arranged like wedges of a pie radiating out from the city centre, with the Victoria Hall standing proud in the centre of the city (and the pie). Today we joined those 8 circuits into one body to oversee the mission of the Methodist Church in Sheffield.
We did it today because 1st September is the Methodist New Year, the day when ministers start work in new appointments and the life of the churches starts up again after the summer hiatus. And we did it by gathering together representatives from the 66 Methodist congregations, together with representatives of the other Christian churches and faith communities in the city and civic dignitaries, for a service of worship and dedication in the Octagon Centre, on the campus of Sheffield University.
The service contained drama, prayer, traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs, a welcome for a new Probationer Minister in the north of the city, a commissioning for the new Superintendents and the ministerial staff, and a challenge to be the story of God's love and mercy from the Chair of the Sheffield District, Revd. Vernon Marsh. That story was poignantly illustrated by the centrepiece of the stage, where boards containing the names of members from the eight old circuits had been arranged to forms the outline of the Cross.
We prayed together these words:
We concluded as we shared bread and wine together, and were sent out to be the people of God called Methodist in the communities of this city, each congregation being given a candle to symbolise our unity in Christ. Whether any of us were any clearer just how this new arrangement will work, I'm not sure: it will take some months to develop now that it has been birthed. But the congregation left envisioned and inspired to be a company of hospitality, hope and healing.
Now the work begins.
Until yesterday, the Methodists of Sheffield (the 4th largest city in the UK) had been arranged into 8 such circuits, arranged like wedges of a pie radiating out from the city centre, with the Victoria Hall standing proud in the centre of the city (and the pie). Today we joined those 8 circuits into one body to oversee the mission of the Methodist Church in Sheffield.
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| The New Circuit Logo |
The service contained drama, prayer, traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs, a welcome for a new Probationer Minister in the north of the city, a commissioning for the new Superintendents and the ministerial staff, and a challenge to be the story of God's love and mercy from the Chair of the Sheffield District, Revd. Vernon Marsh. That story was poignantly illustrated by the centrepiece of the stage, where boards containing the names of members from the eight old circuits had been arranged to forms the outline of the Cross.
 |
| The Cross, and the candles taken to the Churches |
We make our new circuit in the fellowship of God
on the roads of the city, in the lanes of the villages,
in the housing estates and tower blocks,
to the noise of the tram, to the cries for love.
We make our new circuit in the fellowship of God
in the offices and factories,
the schools and universities,
and in the shopping centres.
God has no favourite places.
There are no special things.
All are God's, and all are sacred.
By the community that is God,
Father, Son and Spirit,
may each step we take weave us together as one
until we become what you, our God, are calling us to.
Amen.
We concluded as we shared bread and wine together, and were sent out to be the people of God called Methodist in the communities of this city, each congregation being given a candle to symbolise our unity in Christ. Whether any of us were any clearer just how this new arrangement will work, I'm not sure: it will take some months to develop now that it has been birthed. But the congregation left envisioned and inspired to be a company of hospitality, hope and healing.
Now the work begins.
Monday, 22 July 2013
A Transforming Community
How a small Christian congregation adapted for a new mission situation.
When I arrived in Sheffield 9 years ago, one of the congregations I was given charge of was a small mission chapel situated in the Rivelin Valley which went by the name of Rivelin Glen. It was an interesting place in a number of ways: the only way to get to it was down a cobbled path; the interior was stark, with pews, a raised dais with a harmonium and a lectern, and a painted bible text on the wall behind the preacher; and the congregation, though small, consisted mainly of young people from the nearby estate. The work was overseen by Connie, a lady then in her 70s from another local congregation, and Phil, a man in his 50s with strong Pentecostal and dispensationalist leanings. An interesting group, to say the least.
Over time the work fluctuated, but the young people kept coming. They saw the chapel as 'theirs', and preferred its aesthetics to those of a nearby 1970s Methodist chapel: 'it feels more like a church', they told me: 'that other place doesn't feel right.' Sadly because of the demographic of the congregation, income was poor and the building was old and badly in need of repair. We eventually reached the point where Rivelin Glen was no longer usable, due to problems with dry rot. But the young people still wanted to meet together.
We tried meeting in homes: Connie's front room had functioned as the church hall for a while, but didn't seem conducive to regular worship. We tried meeting in nearby chapels, but that seemed too far removed from the 'mission field' of this group, who clearly saw the estate on which they lived as where God wanted them to be. Eventually we decided to meet in a Community Room on the estate at Hall Park Head, in the heart of the community, close to the bus terminus.
We've been worshipping there now for about 3½ years. And things have changed. The congregation has changed: only Connie is left from the group I inherited, but others have come in and transformed the dynamic in a wonderful way: those with skills and gifts in technology, in worship leading and in children's work. People who had belonged to other congregations, and those who still worship elsewhere in the city, come to Hall Park in varying numbers to worship and read the Bible together. Their style is very interactive: preachers are never left unchallenged or uninterrupted. And most importantly, their focus is very much outward. In the two hours that they meet together about ½ hour is spent in worship & study: the rest of the time is taken up with what they call the 'Welcome Cafe', a non-threatening space for anyone from the estate to come and share tea and cakes and a chat, with craft activities for the younger children, who seem to really appreciate what we do. There is a hope that in the coming months there may be scope for providing debt counselling services here too.
I've used the word 'we' a lot here: the truth is I stopped being the minister to this congregation about 3 years ago, but have maintained contact with them, and lead worship there regularly. They continue to be an inspiration to me, and I hope and pray that their mission will continue to grow as they reach out with God's love to that estate and the people with whom they share their lives.
When I arrived in Sheffield 9 years ago, one of the congregations I was given charge of was a small mission chapel situated in the Rivelin Valley which went by the name of Rivelin Glen. It was an interesting place in a number of ways: the only way to get to it was down a cobbled path; the interior was stark, with pews, a raised dais with a harmonium and a lectern, and a painted bible text on the wall behind the preacher; and the congregation, though small, consisted mainly of young people from the nearby estate. The work was overseen by Connie, a lady then in her 70s from another local congregation, and Phil, a man in his 50s with strong Pentecostal and dispensationalist leanings. An interesting group, to say the least.
Over time the work fluctuated, but the young people kept coming. They saw the chapel as 'theirs', and preferred its aesthetics to those of a nearby 1970s Methodist chapel: 'it feels more like a church', they told me: 'that other place doesn't feel right.' Sadly because of the demographic of the congregation, income was poor and the building was old and badly in need of repair. We eventually reached the point where Rivelin Glen was no longer usable, due to problems with dry rot. But the young people still wanted to meet together.
We tried meeting in homes: Connie's front room had functioned as the church hall for a while, but didn't seem conducive to regular worship. We tried meeting in nearby chapels, but that seemed too far removed from the 'mission field' of this group, who clearly saw the estate on which they lived as where God wanted them to be. Eventually we decided to meet in a Community Room on the estate at Hall Park Head, in the heart of the community, close to the bus terminus.
We've been worshipping there now for about 3½ years. And things have changed. The congregation has changed: only Connie is left from the group I inherited, but others have come in and transformed the dynamic in a wonderful way: those with skills and gifts in technology, in worship leading and in children's work. People who had belonged to other congregations, and those who still worship elsewhere in the city, come to Hall Park in varying numbers to worship and read the Bible together. Their style is very interactive: preachers are never left unchallenged or uninterrupted. And most importantly, their focus is very much outward. In the two hours that they meet together about ½ hour is spent in worship & study: the rest of the time is taken up with what they call the 'Welcome Cafe', a non-threatening space for anyone from the estate to come and share tea and cakes and a chat, with craft activities for the younger children, who seem to really appreciate what we do. There is a hope that in the coming months there may be scope for providing debt counselling services here too.
I've used the word 'we' a lot here: the truth is I stopped being the minister to this congregation about 3 years ago, but have maintained contact with them, and lead worship there regularly. They continue to be an inspiration to me, and I hope and pray that their mission will continue to grow as they reach out with God's love to that estate and the people with whom they share their lives.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Playing the History
Regular readers of this blog will note my particular love of the Progressive genre of rock music. One of the things that stands out for me in this genre is the way in which Progressive music draws on classical music for its structures, forms and ideas, and this was illustrated well last night at a performance of 'Playing the History', a project by John Hackett, Marco Lo Muscio & Carlo Matteucci, in Wesley Hall Crookes in Sheffield. With John on flute, Marco on organ & piano & Carlo on bass and guitar, they entertained a small but appreciative audience with their interpretations of some classic progressive works.
In the liner notes to the CD of the project - which is officially launched on July 1 in Rome - the three artists say that 'the core of our idea is to give a place of honour to progressive rock music on the same level as the works of the great classical composers', and in order to achieve this they have produced fresh instrumental interpretations, without vocals or drums, of a number of progressive pieces.
The arrangements are based around flute, bass guitar and organ or piano, with the addition (on the CD) of further guitars from Giorgio Gabriel & Steve Hackett and saxophone from David Jackson, and feature works by ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, Pink Floyd, Anthony Phillips, Rick Wakeman & Steve Hackett, as well as original material by John & Marco. The sound is lyrical and haunting in places: Marco's arrangement of Steve Hackett's 'Horizons, from Genesis's 'Foxtrot' album, for piano and flute particularly stands out, as does the re-working of King Crimson's 'I Talk to the Wind', and one of the new pieces - 'Bilbo's Dream' (come on, it wouldn't be real prog without some Tolkien references!) is, I hope, destined to become a classic. Indeed, John Hackett writes in the liner notes: "With Bilbo's Dream Marco Lo Muscio has written a masterpiece - it deserves to be heard in concert halls throughout the world alongside the few really good pieces for solo flute such as the JS & CPE Bach A minor sonatas and Debussey's Syrinx."
A great collection, and a fine piece of music. You can order a copy from John's website - www.hacktrax.co.uk, where you can find details of further concert performances.
In the liner notes to the CD of the project - which is officially launched on July 1 in Rome - the three artists say that 'the core of our idea is to give a place of honour to progressive rock music on the same level as the works of the great classical composers', and in order to achieve this they have produced fresh instrumental interpretations, without vocals or drums, of a number of progressive pieces.
The arrangements are based around flute, bass guitar and organ or piano, with the addition (on the CD) of further guitars from Giorgio Gabriel & Steve Hackett and saxophone from David Jackson, and feature works by ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, Pink Floyd, Anthony Phillips, Rick Wakeman & Steve Hackett, as well as original material by John & Marco. The sound is lyrical and haunting in places: Marco's arrangement of Steve Hackett's 'Horizons, from Genesis's 'Foxtrot' album, for piano and flute particularly stands out, as does the re-working of King Crimson's 'I Talk to the Wind', and one of the new pieces - 'Bilbo's Dream' (come on, it wouldn't be real prog without some Tolkien references!) is, I hope, destined to become a classic. Indeed, John Hackett writes in the liner notes: "With Bilbo's Dream Marco Lo Muscio has written a masterpiece - it deserves to be heard in concert halls throughout the world alongside the few really good pieces for solo flute such as the JS & CPE Bach A minor sonatas and Debussey's Syrinx."
A great collection, and a fine piece of music. You can order a copy from John's website - www.hacktrax.co.uk, where you can find details of further concert performances.
Monday, 3 June 2013
The History Boys
As a Yorkshireman born and bred, I've always had a fondness for the work of Alan Bennett, and his play 'The History Boys' is one of my particular favourites. It concerns the trials of a groups of sixth-form students working towards the Oxbridge entrance exam in the early 1980s, the machinations of their starved-of-success headmaster desperate to enhance the reputation of the school above all else, and the conflict between the different teaching styles of Hector and Irwin.
The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is currently showing the play, and I was delighted to be there last Friday evening. The story was well-told in this production, using music from the period to good effect and the cast to move scenery & props to change locations around the school. The cast worked well together - it was very much a team performance rather than a collection of individuals, and they were led by a brilliant Matthew Kelly as Hector, taking on the role made famous on stage and screen by the late Richard Griffiths.
I approached this performance with a little trepidation, as the film version which I'd seen previously was of such good quality that I wondered how they could possibly come up to that standard. That film, blessed as it was by so much great young talent - Russell Tovey, Dominic Cooper & James Corden to name but three, set a high bench mark for the play, but this cast came through admirably well, playing it with humour and pathos in equal measure, and engaging the audience throughout.
A wonderful production, and a great evening. Another triumph for Sheffield Theatres!
The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is currently showing the play, and I was delighted to be there last Friday evening. The story was well-told in this production, using music from the period to good effect and the cast to move scenery & props to change locations around the school. The cast worked well together - it was very much a team performance rather than a collection of individuals, and they were led by a brilliant Matthew Kelly as Hector, taking on the role made famous on stage and screen by the late Richard Griffiths.
I approached this performance with a little trepidation, as the film version which I'd seen previously was of such good quality that I wondered how they could possibly come up to that standard. That film, blessed as it was by so much great young talent - Russell Tovey, Dominic Cooper & James Corden to name but three, set a high bench mark for the play, but this cast came through admirably well, playing it with humour and pathos in equal measure, and engaging the audience throughout.
A wonderful production, and a great evening. Another triumph for Sheffield Theatres!
Rush - Sheffield Arena 28 May 2013
When you've been in the business as long as Rush - it's 40 years next year since their eponymous debut album was released - you have to have something about you in order to remain at the top of you game for so long. Recently recognised for their contribution to rock music with a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rush seem to have that 'something'.
A year on from the release of their 19th studio album, 'Clockwork Angels', the Canadian trio brought their new material, along with a fair selection from the extensive back-catalogue, to the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield. They'd last been there on their 'Time Machine' Tour in May 2011, and can always count on a good following from this part of the world.
The set was, as I've mentioned, wide-ranging from their back catalogue, with the majority of material in the first half of the show coming from the 80s & 90s. Standards of their repertoire such as 'Subdivisions', 'Tom Sawyer', 'Far Cry' and 'Spirit of Radio' were great crowd-pleasers. The second half of the show focused on the latest offering 'Clockwork Angels', essentially a concept album though not played in its entirety nor in album order. For it they were joined by a live string section, who clearly relished playing the music and rocked along as they played. They concluded with some of their 70s material (more my cup of tea), ending with a blinding rendition of the opening and closing sections of 2112.
The staging of the show was good: lighting, pyrotechnics and video brought a lively dimension to the performance: not that there was anything lacking in the vitality of these old rockers, fast approaching or just passed 60 (despite Geddy Lee's joke about them needing a break half-way because of their age!). The musicianship from all three of them was excellent. My only gripe about the show was the sound quality, but that may be due to our seats being to the side of the stage and quite high up, rather than front ¢re.
On the whole not a bad night out for a father who remembers this band from his teens, and his son who's still there!
A year on from the release of their 19th studio album, 'Clockwork Angels', the Canadian trio brought their new material, along with a fair selection from the extensive back-catalogue, to the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield. They'd last been there on their 'Time Machine' Tour in May 2011, and can always count on a good following from this part of the world.
The set was, as I've mentioned, wide-ranging from their back catalogue, with the majority of material in the first half of the show coming from the 80s & 90s. Standards of their repertoire such as 'Subdivisions', 'Tom Sawyer', 'Far Cry' and 'Spirit of Radio' were great crowd-pleasers. The second half of the show focused on the latest offering 'Clockwork Angels', essentially a concept album though not played in its entirety nor in album order. For it they were joined by a live string section, who clearly relished playing the music and rocked along as they played. They concluded with some of their 70s material (more my cup of tea), ending with a blinding rendition of the opening and closing sections of 2112.
The staging of the show was good: lighting, pyrotechnics and video brought a lively dimension to the performance: not that there was anything lacking in the vitality of these old rockers, fast approaching or just passed 60 (despite Geddy Lee's joke about them needing a break half-way because of their age!). The musicianship from all three of them was excellent. My only gripe about the show was the sound quality, but that may be due to our seats being to the side of the stage and quite high up, rather than front ¢re.
On the whole not a bad night out for a father who remembers this band from his teens, and his son who's still there!
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
My Fair Lady
Last night I accompanied my wife, Judith, to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield to enjoy her Christmas present: tickets to see Daniel Evans' production of 'My Fair Lady'. And what an evening we enjoyed!
The house was packed out - as I believe it has been throughout the show's run so far - and we were treated to a spectacular performance of song, dance and story to rival the West End. The sets, particularly Higgins' study, were very good, and used the unique space at the Crucible very well. The music, performed live under the stage under the splendid direction of Nigel Lilley, set the mood brilliantly and helped the story along at just the right pace. The cast were all excellent, performing with energy and enthusiasm throughout their 2½ hours on stage, but especial mention must go Louis Maskell as Freddy, Martyn Ellis as Alfred P Doolittle, and of course the the two principals: Carly Bawden as Eliza Doolittle and Dominic West as Henry Higgins.
One of the problems with a show like My Fair Lady is that the songs - such as 'The Rain in Spain', 'I Could Have Danced All Night', 'On The Street Where You Live' & 'Get Me To The Church On Time' - are all very well-known, and cinema has given us what many consider the definitive portrayal of the story from Rex Harrison & Audrey Hepburn. West echoed Harrison's 'talk singing' here, but managed sing as well, and has a reasonable singing voice himself. Bawden made the transition from Cockney flower girl to society lady wonderfully and I think she has a great future in this field. The cast's performance of 'Get Me To The Church On Time' left them and the audience breathless, and by the end of the night the majority of the crowd were on their feet applauding an outstanding, energetic and moving performance.
If there is any justice, this should be an award-winning show. If you can - and it may not be easy - get a ticket, sit back and enjoy a spectacular evening's entertainment!
The house was packed out - as I believe it has been throughout the show's run so far - and we were treated to a spectacular performance of song, dance and story to rival the West End. The sets, particularly Higgins' study, were very good, and used the unique space at the Crucible very well. The music, performed live under the stage under the splendid direction of Nigel Lilley, set the mood brilliantly and helped the story along at just the right pace. The cast were all excellent, performing with energy and enthusiasm throughout their 2½ hours on stage, but especial mention must go Louis Maskell as Freddy, Martyn Ellis as Alfred P Doolittle, and of course the the two principals: Carly Bawden as Eliza Doolittle and Dominic West as Henry Higgins.
One of the problems with a show like My Fair Lady is that the songs - such as 'The Rain in Spain', 'I Could Have Danced All Night', 'On The Street Where You Live' & 'Get Me To The Church On Time' - are all very well-known, and cinema has given us what many consider the definitive portrayal of the story from Rex Harrison & Audrey Hepburn. West echoed Harrison's 'talk singing' here, but managed sing as well, and has a reasonable singing voice himself. Bawden made the transition from Cockney flower girl to society lady wonderfully and I think she has a great future in this field. The cast's performance of 'Get Me To The Church On Time' left them and the audience breathless, and by the end of the night the majority of the crowd were on their feet applauding an outstanding, energetic and moving performance.
If there is any justice, this should be an award-winning show. If you can - and it may not be easy - get a ticket, sit back and enjoy a spectacular evening's entertainment!
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