
As Master of the Choristers and organist at Chelmsford Cathedral, James is responsible for all of the music. He spoke with passion about his love of music and the important role that is can play in our lives. His love of music began as a child and developed through being a chorister himself at ten years of age at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire. Having held posts in Durham, Winchester and St. Albans, he came to Chelmsford Cathedral ten years ago. His father appreciated jazz and this has influenced his own eclectic tastes. He stated that he does not listen at home to the type of music he organises at the cathedral and like to explore new music across the genres including folk and ambient. He feels that it is all too easy to get stuck in a rut; much better to allow music to “open new doors”. Music can help your mood, lift your spirit, provide comfort and you can get lost within it.
Tonight, and every Friday in Lent at 7pm at the Cathedral, the choir will be leading a service of Compline for thirty minutes. In these troubling times these choral service will be a valuable aid to spiritual and emotional well-being.
Playlist
Coldcut- Walk a mile in my shoes
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Fanfare for the common man.
Divine Comedy – Songs of love – chosen by James as it brings back happy memories of when he should have been studying, but was listening to the album.
Keely Smith – It was a very good year – chosen by James. Frank Sinatra won the Grammy Award for best male vocal performance for his version of this song in 1966. James loves Keely’s much more up-beat version, where she is encouraging the band to play higher throughout the track.
Madeleine Peyroux – You’re gonna make me lonesome when you go – chosen by James as he loves her voice and the song.
Friday Teaser
Josh Groban celebrated his 41st birthday recently. We heard River from his 2018 album, Bridges.
Coldplay in 1996 above, and below in 2022.
Chris Martin, lead singer and songwriter in Coldplay celebrated his 45th birthday. We heard Strawberry swing from the band’s 2008 Grammy Award winning best album of the year, Viva la vida.
Ian Stanley is musician and songwriter for the band Tears for Fears. He was 65 years old recently. We heard his composition Everybody wants to rule the world, which was a top 20 hit in seventeen countries, including being no 1 in the USA.
In a low scoring competition, most answers were quite close, but none of them were correct. James was our winner with two points. Joint second with one point were Bob in Harlow and Chris in Guildford. June in Tottenham and Chris in Harlow did not make the scoreboard. Thanks to them all for taking part.
Kylie Minogue – I believe in you. With the news that the TV soap opera Neighbours is due to cease production this summer after 37 years, Patrick in Ingatestone requested a track by Kylie. We heard this track from 2004, a UK no 2, no 1 in Romania and top 10 in thirteen more countries.
Ramsey Lewis Trio – Wade in the water
Carrie Underwood – Something in the water
Chart this week in
No 3 Enrique Iglesias – Hero
No 9. S Club 7 – You
No 10 Beverley Knight – Shoulda, woulda, coulda
ECHO – This will be be. – from their album Soul provider.
Deodato – Also spracht Zarathustra. A 1973 USA no 2 and UK no 7.
RAH Band – One day we’ll smile again.
Next week my guest is Greg from the local Christian band ECHO. He will talking about their music and their search for a new keyboard player.