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- by Malc Seaman - ...more True Stories...
In 1987 it was possible to appear at the Festival Hall and still go un-noticed. Play to crowds of thousands - receive
a standing ovation, but afterwards, just slip back into obscurity.
But fame was never going to come my way. Or the way of the fifty-or-so Christians that appeared there with me.
Adrian Snell, a Christian musician was touring the UK performing the songs from his latest album 'Alpha & Omega'
and at each town he played in he enlisted the help of singers (and aspiring singers) from local churches to form
the choir to sing the backing vocals to the music. I volunteered.
A local musical director was appointed to lead us and we set out to learn our parts. Every week for a couple of
months, me and a couple from our fellowship spent hours croaking, creaking and spluttering as we rehearsed
the songs we would sing live on stage.
At first it was difficult to remember the parts we had to learn, the harmonies - the words. But by the time we due to appear and the Saturday had arrived...we were ready! For our last rehearsal on stage that day we met for the first time, Roger Mayor, who would lead us in the live performance, and Adrian Snell. Both Roger and Adrian made us, nervous amateurs, feel very relaxed and at ease.
Almost at the last moment, with only a couple of hours before the performance on stage, it was discovered
that the girl who was to sing a solo during the performance, had been delayed and was not going to be able to
appear. Potentially, a real problem. But the Lord knows the end from the beginning and in His foreknowledge
he had also enlisted for the choir a young girl who herself, was embarking on a musical career - Maggie Dawn. Maggie stepped up on stage for a 'try-out'. I remember praying "Lord, just be with Maggie and help her sing the part, help her to glorify Your name." Maggie sang..and the part was hers.
Just before we went on stage we all spent a wonderful time in prayer before the Lord. Adrian was a very humble
man who gratefully acknowledged God as his sufficiency and we committed the whole evening into the Lord's
hands. There we were, a group of nervous Christians, most of whom had never been on a stage, or performed before a live audience, about to go out and sing in front of a couple of thousand people. But when the time came for us to open our mouths and sing we opened our mouths and praised God. We sang the parts we had rehearsed, but the sound that came out was sheer praise and worship. God, by His Holy Spirit moved upon each one on that stage and the audience were moved. (I know that because my wife was sitting in the audience and she told me afterwards how much the whole thing moved her.) As we sang the words to the closing song it was clear that God was touching the hearts of people both in the audience and on the stage and tears were evident as brothers and sisters in Christ hugged one another and wept with one another.
I have no doubt that that evening many who were not Christians were moved to examine their lives before God. But then I would rather see people, who were otherwise going to a Christless eternity, come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, than to be famous - or even nearly famous....
*Basildon is in Essex, England |
