Happy New Year

I hope the new year finds you happy with what God has placed before you and eager to face the challenges that lie ahead. My year has started with a few unexpected surprises, not least the snow and family seasonal illness that comes with it.

2009 brought with it many challenges both with my ministry and my job. I have many wonderful memories of a year that the press considers a bad year. Highlights for me have been the opportunities I've had to work with some fabulous musicians in my ministry performances at Lincoln Trinity URC, Boston Trinity CE and my school William Lovell CE. I would like to thank everyone who attended and I truly hope that you were blessed and inspired as much as I have been.

Something of note that I have very much kept under my hat as well. Over the last year I have been in communication with a ministry development agency called IncubatorOnline. In November 2009 I decided to put myself through the audition process. I'm still not really sure what my motivation was and I can tell you I was more than impressed with Incubator, however after much thought and prayer I withdrew from the process just as I entered stage 5.

I firmly believe that God has a purpose for the music I write and perform and I can honestly say that Incubator have equipped me with more confidence in that purpose and for that I am grateful. In addition I was overjoyed to be able to welcome Lisa Coe into my music performances last year I hope that we can continue to develop the partnership with more appearances through 2010. Lisa is a graduate from the same music college I attended and is a fine pianist with a real heart for serving God.
I think that's about all for now. Thank you for showing an interest in my music ministry.

Abundant blessings
Steve

Christmas Cheer Event

Come and join Steve in this community event of Christmas songs and seasonal refreshments (mulled wine & apple juice and mince pies etc. and Starbucks kindly provided coffee and hot chocolate). There will be an opportunity to mingle, sing carols and buy some home-made Christmas gifts.

Saturday 28th November 2009, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
All welcome. Steve is singing at 5:00pm

No place like home

I used to love going away for a trip. To visit relatives or just to get a break from the norm. Strangely, these days I love to be at home. If I get a minute spare I want to be at home. If I had the choice to visit the place of my dreams .... I'd choose home. I sound like a right old soppy pants I know. So what's made the difference...... simple. Not only my wonderful wife, but also our fantastic little man, Jack. I often sit and think about his mum and how very proud she would be of what a marvellous boy he's become. Every night he says goodnight to her and he gets so excited when he sees a star blinking back down at him. I secretly think he enjoys the autumn and winter because he gets to see the stars more often.

Monday was a special day. 18 years since Tamara and I tied the knot. I haven't regretted a day. I remember how much I loved her on the day we were married and I never would have guessed that I could continue to love her more and more. She is so much part of me I can't even function without her. I only hope she understands just how much I love her.

So getting back to no place like home. It's obvious why I prefer to be home because home is where my two wonderful people are. Home is our haven. Everytime I think of Steph my heart cries but it also is so very grateful that she gave me and Tamar the opportunity to care for and love her son.

I could travel the world but I only want to be here with my two special people. Here at home.

On the road again

Great songs, life stories and hope for the future. What more could you ask for in an evenings entertainment. Don’t miss Steve performing in his home church. Featuring music from Design for Life amongst some new songs.

Songs from my heart

Enjoy a relaxing evening of song and anecodotes with Steve Lowndes, Christian singer songwriter. Steve will be joined by Lyndsey Evans and, hopefully, Nigel Halliday for this rare opportunity to share in Steve's songs, featuring the Design For Life album amongst the latest songs that he has penned.

Be sure not to miss this fantastic opportunity.

Admission FREE - no tickets required
Doors open at 7:00pm

Worship Concert at William Lovell CE School

An exciting opportunity to see Steve perform at his own school. Steve will perform his blend of acoustic music on guitar and piano in this enchanting rural setting. All welcome. Admission FREE

New Song - You Are There

I'm excited to annouce the unveiling of my latest recording. The song is called You Are There and has been described as a worship song by others. It represents quite a change in more than one area of my life.

First, it represents a new journey on my knowledge of recording techniques. Without going into boring detail I managed to utilize specialist features of a programme called Magix to create what I think is the best quality recording I've done to date.

Second, it has helped me to realise that sometimes it's good to wait instead of being so impatient. The song was birthed back in September/October and I've been picking at since then. Fotunatel I have a wonderful and patient wife who allowed me the space and time to complete the recording during the Christmas Holidays.

Finally, it marks a change in attitude, once again, regarding my faith and how I share it. I'm still not going to drum my beliefs into everybodys ears, but I'm not going to shy away from the fact that I am overjoyed to proclaim that I believe Jesus has rescued me from the sting of death. Every part of my life has been mapped out for me and I sometimes can't quite believe how every step is so wonderfully choreographed through thick and thin. Even to the point where the rough times have prepared me for each next step. It's easy to say this as I walk in a time of bounty, but right now I see a purpose for my life as a servant of God.

I hope you enjoy the song as much as I've enjoyed making it.

Many blessings
Steve

Music Specialist Status at William Lovell CofE School

Since beginning my new job at William Lovell Church of England School Stickney Lincolnshire I haven't the opportunity to stand still. Shortly after beginning the job I discovered that we were seeking specialist status in music. As the head of music this clearly meant an awful lot to me both as a challenge and an opportunity for the school. I can now confirm that we have been successful in our bid, praise God. As a church school there was a huge amount of prayer went into this project and now we seek to find Gods will through it all, especially with the need to appoint a new member to the department. I pray that God will bring us a candidate who is not only a skilled music teacher, but also has a heart for worship and a desire to share Gods world with our students, many of whom are unbelievers.

God is so good.

New website

Having successfully moved my webhost to twoedgemedia I am pleased to announce that I'm pretty close to a total revamp on my website. Some of you may have seen the red version for a short which I struggled with to set up the template. Finally I decided enough is enough and decided to adopt a template from free css templates. My thanks go to Robin and Helen of Living Hope to drawing my attention to these templates. Check out their website too locustmusic
I truly hope you enjoy the new website and welcome any suggestions you may have.

Anyone near Hull, UK?

Shameless plug I know, but you don't get anything if you don't try

After a long period of no activity I seem to have been thrust into the frontline again much to my delight. Saturday 19th April 2008 is my next 'gig' at Manna Coffee, in Hull. Manna Coffee is a chiristian coffee house that has recently set up n outreach 'church' that is based around the Alpha model and is aiming to break down the preconceptions tha many people have about what church is about. The series of Saturday night concerts is one the attempts draw people from the in to experience the love of Jesus in action. I feel quite honoured to be the first artist in the series. In the gig I will performing acoustic versions of a selection of the songs I have written. It seems the last few gigs have been just me and the guitar with some help form my good friend Nigel Halliday playing the Bodhran and guitar and singing backing vocals.

So if you're nearby why not drop in and support MannaLife in their new venture. The evening will begin with an open mic if you're interested.

19 Apr 2008, 19:30
Manna Coffee
76 & 80 King Street, Cottingham
Kingston Upon Hull, HULL
United Kingdom

A live acoustic gig which will feature music from the album Design for Life by Steve along with some newer material. Relaxing folk/pop music with challenging anecdotes. There will also be a period of open mic before Steve performs.

I WIll Praise You, Lord, Live at Willoughby

Here's one of the live recordings I managed to salvage from the evening. The song is called I Will Praise You, Lord from the Design For Life CD. I hope it works ok. Just click on the arrow.

Willoughby acoustic gig report

It's great to be back.

I've been gigging again. I was invited by Nigel to perform for a small villiage parish church in Willoughby, nr Alford, Lincs. That gig was last night and really gave me confidence to perform again. Once more Nigel joined me in singing some of my favourites of the songs I've written. A modest audience of 20 turned up the first in this series of concerts for outreach in Willoughby hosted by Rev Daffyd Thomas for what turned out to be, as billed, a relaxing evening of song in an intimate setting. I had some fabulous feedback including the words every performer needs to hear. "That was exactly what I'd been needing to hear." It always reminds of a song by Paul Field called Reader to Writer, "If a song can touch just one heart then I know that it's alll been worthwhile." What made the evening even more special for me was to see five good friends there, three of which I haven't seen in a long time. The Lord truly is good.

Today I received a call for another booking and in addition I've been invited to share with Spilsby Pentecostal church (lincs). So I am happy to confirm that I'll be performing in the Manna Coffee House, Cottingham , Hull 7:30pm 19th April 2008.

That's it in brief. Please drop me a line if only to say hi. BTW I'll be seeing what the live recording came out like and may add a song to the playlist here. Pictures to follow

I Will Dance

This hasn't happened to me for quite a while, but God gave me a new song on Tuesday. Unusually, it came almost complete in ajust a few minutes. That was always the way I composed in the past but mre recently my songs have come with considerably more birth pains and a long labour.

I will dance began Tuesday morning as I played the piano before my class arrived for registration. After school I once more sat down at the piano and played this nice musical pattern and then the words flowed. I took them home determined to edit them and work hard on perfecting them. However they were already written minus one line and a bridge. So today the song was finished. My worship group at school learnt the song with me and the bridge was written. The recording you hear is a one take after the kids had gone. I can't wait to record it properly.


I Will Dance
by Steve Lowndes

Verse 1:
You hold my heart
You hold my dreams
You catch me when I fall

When days are dark
You are my light
My shelter from the storm

Chorus:
And I will run to you
Into your open arms
And I will sing to you
With all the love in my heart
And I will give to you
My dreams my every desire
And I will dance, I will dance
. . . with you.

Verse 2:
You give me hope
You give me joy
When all I see is pain

You are my strength
When I am weak
You make me new again

Chorus:

Bridge:
And I will thank you
And I will praise you
‘Cause you’re my Lord, Jesus

Chorus:

Copyright Steve Lowndes 2008