My Love of Music

I think my love of music started at a very early age as both my Mum and Dad were always very musically minded.

My Dad is a big fan of jazz/big band music and as a keen musician has played in many bands over the years. He also spends a lot of time arranging/composing music for some of the bands/soloists he knows.

On the other hand, my Mum's side of the family grew up attending the Salvation Army and as such were heavily involved in both the singing groups and the bands - My grandfather having been the leader of the first singing group (Songsters) at Rutherglen corps!

I remember when I was very young, climbing up on the piano stool beside my Dad while he "tried out" some of his arrangements/compositions - Apparently I was a "great help"!

As soon as I turned seven I started piano lessons and continued this for a number of years, going through the exams up to Grade 8. It wasn't always easy but thankfully I stuck at it.

Although having been taken along to the Salvation Army at Rutherglen from a very early age, and giving my heart to Jesus at age seven, I never joined the junior band (Young People's Band) until I was about 11 or 12 as my piano lessons were the same night as the learners class! Even when I did initially join it was to play percussion!!!

After a short while I was given a trombone, a short lesson on how to hold it, blow into it and the various slide positions for the notes and the rest is history as they say! That was my one and only trombone lesson (and yes I know that explains a lot!) - My Dad and one of my cousins both being trombone players, then became the source of the rest of my trombone training.

Between learning the piano and trombone, I also learned to play clarinet, although I did continue to play my clarinet for a number of years, I'm afraid it's now been a while since I last played it.

After all this while I was still at Rutherglen Salvation Army, age 18, I became a uniform wearing Salvationist - during this time still in the Singing Company (junior choir) and  YP Band (junior band), but also joined the Songsters (senior choir) and Senior Band. Not long after becoming a Salvationist I became pianist for the Singing Company (junior choir), and then also for the Songsters (senior choir). A little later I took on the roll of Deputy Songster Leader and a little later again followed in my grandfather's footsteps by taking on the roll of Songster Leader for about two and a half years. After a short break from the Songsters I took on roll of Songster pianist for the second time. I also following in my Dad's footsteps, by composing several songs for the songsters and arranging music for several soloist.

In 2002 I transferred to Bellshill Salvation Army where I'm a member of the Senior Band.

So there you go, that's my musical background! Having had a grounding in music from an early age, I've also found music to be a very important part of my life and especially my Christian life. I've found over the years in so many situations that a piece of music or a song can say more to me than anything another person can say. Music seems to be able to touch my heart and emotions to a greater extent than anything else, so I do treasure the times when I get to just sit and listen to music.

So what's my favourite music?

That's very hard to say, because I often find it depends greatly on how I feel at the time I'm asked! I love a very wide variety of music and style, however it may not surprise you when I list several Christian or Salvation Army songs/pieces of music as my favourites:

- Lord I Come To You (The Power of Your Love)

- The Light of the World

- Just As I Am

- Milestone


I've used it before but here's an video of Lord I come To You which I find inspiring and emotional from the start of the video:

Fantasy or Faith?

When things are going wrong in our life, and everything seems bleak, God alone can help us.

When bad health is something we have to face on a daily basis, God is the one who can give us the strength to face the day.

When we've no money in the bank and you don't know where your next meal is going to come from, only God can help.

God is enough to help us in all situations we find ourselves.

We can become frustrated when bad things happen to us, but when we start to fantasize we're move further away from reality and fact. i.e. If we fantasise that good health alone will bring us happiness, or when we have a big house, a holiday or we win the lottery that will be the key to eternal happiness. But all these things are fantasy.

The answer to fantasy is faith. Faith will chase our frustrations away and give us the strength to live well, even if that means with little earthly value to our name. Faith reminds us that we have a heavenly bank account and that is one which cannot contain our earthly possessions but simply our spiritual wealth.

God will make help you through your situation, whatever it is, so be joyful in God's love and He will get you over the mountains of frustrations that face you.

This is not the best recording but I hope you can make out the message - There's Never Been a Mountain by Derby Central Songsters:

He Sought Me

Psalm 34:4 NIV
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Today's post follows on from my previous one (Rain Down) as I simply want to remind you that God looks out for each one of us, no matter what we've done in our past. Maybe you're at a time in your life when you're facing many choices and don't know which way to turn - Talk to God about it, he will direct you along the right path.

If you're struggling with things of life getting on top of you, again I'd urge you to place them in God's hands, as he will lighten your load.

Find God today, he is waiting for you to reach out to Him.

The International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army - He Sought Me

The Saviour sought and found me,
Far from the narrow way;
He made my blinded eyes to see
On that wonderful, wonderful day.

He sought me, he sought me,
When I was wandering far away;
He found me, he found me,
O what a wonderful day!

He lifted sin's great burden,
He saw my deep dismay,
And graciously he pardoned me
On that wonderful, wonderful day.

He sought me, he sought me,
When I was wandering far away;
He found me, he found me,
O what a wonderful day!

My son was red like crimson,
He washed it all away;
He filled my heart with melody
On that wonderful, wonderful day.

He sought me, he sought me,
When I was wandering far away;
He found me, he found me,
O what a wonderful day!

An Emotional Day

I had my post for today all planned out yesterday, but given my day today I've felt led to share something different with you today.

This morning I attended our morning worship (at Bellshill Salvation Army) feeling quite together and looking forward to the service. What I did not expect was to find myself in emotional turmoil within a few minutes of the meeting starting.

It all started with the song our Singing Company (junior choir) sang - there was only seven of them this morning but they sang so beautifully. I just about pulled myself together by the end of the prayer which followed the Singing Company, only to find the Songsters (our senior choir) were singing a song which always touches me..."Written In Red".

Before I go any further I should point out at to me falling apart in public, is my worst nightmare! So imagine how I felt when before they even reached the first chorus, the tears were streaming down my face! I was so uncomfortable that I ended up having to go out of our service for a wee while to compose myself again - I find it very uncomfortable when others can see I'm upset.

I've included the first version I ever heard of this song which was by the International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army.



Just to round things off for me, when I got into my car to go home, after the meeting, the first song that came on from the CD I was playing in the car, was "His Strength Is Perfect" which just reminded again that "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. He'll carry us when we can't carry on. Raised in his power the weak becomes strong. His strength is perfect".



The words of this song, were just the reminder I needed!

My day has continued to be an emotional one, but I continue to be reminded that God is my strength today, and in the coming days.

It's Thursday Night!

...and for me that means band practice night. No I'm not in a rock band, I am in fact a member of the Bellshill Salvation Army Band, where I play trombone. So today I thought I'd tell you a wee bit more about me and the Salvation Army.

My Mum's side of the family has always been in the Salvation Army so I was taken along to the services at Rutherglen, from a very early age. When I was 7 I gave my heart to Jesus. I joined the Singing Company (which is the junior choir), and about 5/6 years later I joined the Young People's Band (the junior band) playing percussion for a few months before moving onto trombone.

When I was 18, after a number of years of doubt and soul searching, I decided that I wanted to continue serving God through the Salvation Army, so became what we call "soldier" - I wear Salvation Army uniform. From then I sang in our Songster Brigade (senior choir) and played in the Band.

I continued to attend the Salvation Army in Rutherglen until 2002. Since then I have been attending Salvation Army in Bellshill where I play in the band and also look after the band's website (www.bsab.co.uk).

I have been very priviliged to travel with the band to a number of place in Scotland, England and further afield. Our Easter Tour in 2003 to the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium was a particular high for all of us in the band. You can read more about all the places we've visited in the band's website.

The band has recorded 4 CDs, the last of which we just recorded a few weeks ago and has not yet been released. It was really hard work recording the CDs but I'm sure those who have listened to them will tell you our hard work has been well worth it! Again if you want more details please visit the band's website.

So there you go, that's a very brief history of my time in the Salvation Army. If you want to know more, I have two testimonies listed on the band's website, plus if you keep reading the blog I may tell you more about me in the coming weeks. :)

Today I've been thanking God for the allowing me the opportunity to play in the band again - for several years I was unable to play much due to some health issues. Music has always been a big part of my life and so I find it a great way of expressing my faith and praising God's name.

I'd ask that today you say thank you to God for the wonderful music that He has inspired many to write, and for those use their musical talents to share God's message by singing/playing the music.