LIFE ~ A Journey Shared

Our third recording was a selection of instrumental tracks, songs and hymns, sung by various soloists alongside the Watermead Singers - members of St Theresa’s choir who now met regularly outside of their regular parish choir commitments to promote the music of our apostolate through recordings, workshops and music events around the country.

Below is the introduction give on the insert . . .

Life - A Journey Shared is an expression of our love for, and trust in, God. It is inspired by the Word of God in the Scriptures and by a sense of wonder in the universe. We trace time from Creation to the completion of life in coming to God. The world is a garden, the child sings in the womb, life is seen in its seasons, St John and Mary Magdalen sing of their joy in knowing the Lord, and the soul sings of its search in the wilderness and its peace in finding God.

“The journey is a very human one and the hymns, songs and music in this collection can be used for parish services and celebration. We share a common giving of life through the love of man and woman; we share a creation that is a garden of beauty and fascination; and a dream of making the world a place of love and justice and peace, of reconciliation and forgiveness. The journey is a pilgrimage together . . .”

The Beginnings

Since our first two recordings, we had been meeting regularly to continue learning our new hymns and songs. More people were joining us and we had been asked to sing at various events around the country, presenting workshops at different venues in and outside our diocese. But we did not make a lot of money through this outreach. Most of what we did was voluntary and, although the apostolate was making small profits through its sales, after the expenses were met we gave what little was left to the charities we supported. So, we did not have the necessary finance to fund a third recording.

Then Father John remembered he had produced a guide to help the people of the parish to understand the Bible. He sent these Bible Scheme notes to Redemptorist Publications, on the off-chance they might be interested in publishing them. They were, and paid an advance royalty for the manuscript - which paid for the production of our recording “LIFE, A Journey Shared”.  (That small book, Getting to Know the Bible, has since been updated, redesigned and reprinted several times and is still available through our Watermead shops.)

The presentation was kept simple, with a one-colour insert (to save on printing costs) from a sketch drawn by Alison and over printed with transfer text. No money this time for a word folder, so the words were typed and incorporated into the cassette sleeve insert.

The Recording

The singers (including our every-growing children’s choir) were booked into the studio on Saturday 23 September, 1995. The singing schedule was very tightly planned, and we managed to record all the vocal tracks on the same day using pre-recorded instrumental backing tracks, that Alison later enhanced with additional instrumentation and Mike’s studio effects. One very rewarding and happy memory was playing the finished “Gardens” track to the singers and seeing their surprise at the orchestra that accompanied them - they had recorded only with a piano track, to which now Alison had added many instruments - sounds that were all digitally produced on her clavinova!

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The Launch

LIFE is a national organisation founded in 1979 by Jack and Nuala Scarisbrick to provide a compassionate alternative to those faced with a crisis pregnancy. The charity’s work inspired by the principle of respect for the lives of all human beings, both born and unborn. It was one of the first anti-abortion organisations in the UK to pioneer this two-pronged approach of opposing abortion yet also providing viable long-term alternatives. Nuala Scarisbrick had asked to use our hymn “O Child” at their 25 year anniversary conference mass in October, 1995. We had been invited to lead the music and take our recordings, books and cards with us and make them available to the people attending.

We decided to launch our new recording that weekend and, on Sunday 15 October, Watermead singers set off for The Chesford Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, to lead the people in the singing of four of our hymns at their celebration mass ~ “O child”, “Song from the Womb”, “The Song of Peace” and “I Have a Dream”.
LIFE is re-released as a CD

In 2006 after many requests the cassette recording was transferred to a digital format and is now produced as a CD.


Available from our shop
In the move from Birstall to St Joseph’s some of archives and artwork were lost and, unfortunately, the original picture used for the artwork of the cassette was one of these items. New pictures and artwork were needed for the CD presentation. Lynn had joined the Watermead team at St Joseph’s and so we asked her if she had a picture that was suitable. She did - a pastel drawing she had done some years back called “Pathway” in the Dordogne (see framed picture). This she photographed, loaded onto her computer art programme, and worked on to produce an image we could use - a new and colourful picture for our CD insert.
Background to some of the Music

The earliest piece of music on this recording is “Lost Summer”, composed by Alison as part of her school exam project when she was fifteen. It was later orchestrated as a retirement gift for her father.  As the seasons of life were to be the theme running through this recording, it seemed appropriate to include the music as one of the instrumentals.

All Watermead music has a background “people” story and two of these stories are given below.

"I'm Going Home"

“I’m Going Home” is Monty’s hymn and seemed an appropriate hymn to complete our “LIFE” journey.

The music was composed on the day that Monty died. He and Sheila had gone home to his native Ireland for a holiday where, sadly, he had fallen and died. Sheila was to bring his body back to his home parish in England for burial, and the wording was written to reflect the love and longing we all share of "home".

The finished hymn was given to Sheila on her return and, a few days later at her request, a full church all sang Monty's hymn at his Requiem Mass.

In March, 1996, the parish went on pilgrimage to Rome and Sheila, Monty’s widow, was going. We decided to follow up our 1994 presentation to Pope John Paul with another Watermead Music presentation - and this time include the “LIFE” cassette along with selected pieces of sheet music. We were allowed inside the Vatican offices to make our presentation to Pope John II.

"O Child"

“O Child”, or “The Song of Life” as it is also known, was first sung for Ruth (pictured here with her Grandmother) on her Baptism day. The first singer of this song had been Lorraine, artist of the Mary Our Mother cassette cover and stationery. Lorraine was to be Ruth’s Godmother and sung the newly-composed song as a surprise for the Baptism service.

The song is one that looks at the human journey through the seasons of life - springtime, summertime, autumn and winter. It had been composed on the day that the newborn Ruth had been brought to church for the very first time, and so was dedicated to her.

When we started making plans for the Life - A Journey Shared recording, this song seemed a very appropriate hymn to include - and we were very pleased that Lorraine, as its first singer, was able to record it for us.

The song has since been recorded by others - Dermot on “Vivan los Ninos” and Rebecca and Matthew on “I Call You Friends”. An instrumental version is also available on the “People of God” Music as Prayer CD presentation.

Sample Sheet Music
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