The quality of the musicians I was working with, and their commitment to musical excellence, has really opened my eyes to the role that music plays in worship. It’s not just as an accompaniment to the words: it’s a legitimate ‘voice’ in and of itself, expressing the beauty, the majesty, the power and the love of God in ways that mere words and concepts can’t; and it can also articulate our response to those things in a most profound and satisfying way.

I’m hearing many stories of people, both Christians and non-Christians, who have been profoundly affected by attending one of the gigs. Our prayer each night was that there would be lasting impact in people’s hearts and lives, and that as a result the kingdom of God would be extended and the Church of Christ would be built up – and I’m so encouraged to hear the ways in which that prayer has been answered.

Here’s a brief catch-up on the second half of the tour:

Monday night – Cambridge. An enthusiastic crowd at Eden Baptist, on possibly the smallest stage I’ve ever had to fit 6 musicians on! But it was a great evening, and a cheer went up when it was announced that Joseph (our drummer, and my son) was coming to study theology there at Corpus Christi next year – several church leaders present were metaphorically rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of adding him to their worship band…

Tuesday night – Norwich. Holy Trinity, a beautiful Anglican church with a relatively newly-built balcony, and the church where I discovered my mother-in-law went to Sunday school, and her mother attended regularly in the 1930s and ‘40s - so it was nice to have a personal connection. Another great atmosphere during the evening, and we were looked after so well.

Thursday night – Wrexham. Hosted by my good friend Phil Harman, we were in the big William Aston Hall at the university, where we had a big crowd and a great response to the evening. I’ve played there once before (with Phatfish), so it was familiar territory, and a few familiar faces.

Friday night - Liverpool Cathedral. The biggest crowd of the tour (around 800), and definitely the biggest venue! It’s a breathtaking building both outside and in, and it offered Chris, our sound guy, the additional challenge of an 11 second echo…! I played here last year with Keith and Kristyn Getty, so the place was familiar, but this time I had the opportunity to go up the bell tower with the band in the afternoon, and look out over the city from the highest point in Liverpool – enjoyed by everyone except our vertigo-suffering keyboard player…

It was a special night for a number of reasons. My Mum came to the concert, as did a number of old friends. I was also moved and inspired again by the cathedral team’s hospitality, and their commitment to the proclamation of the gospel through the work they do. And I couldn’t help feeling that the profound beauty of the evensong service held in the Lady Chapel a couple of hours before the gig made our efforts pale in comparison…

Saturday night – Yateley. A very different venue for our final gig of the tour – a school hall/gymnasium on the borders of Hampshire and Surrey. Another enthusiastic crowd, and again we were overwhelmed with the hospitality we received. A great end to the tour, although it was a little sad to be breaking up the band after an intense two weeks of travelling, laughing, eating (and drinking),  and playing together.

BUT… I’m hoping we can do it all again in the spring. So if you would be interested in hosting a gig, and have access to a venue that will hold at least 400 people (and think you can fill it!), please get in touch!

We're nearly at the mid-point in our tour, with four dates done and five to go! Here's a brief summary of the story so far...

Wed 14th. Had a great opening night at Redhill Baptist Church, Surrey. John Capon and his colleagues looked after us so well, and once people had got over the shock of the original combination of jazz and folk music used side by side in worship, everyone really got into it! The whole band quickly settled into playing together, and all that intensive rehearsing at the beginning of the week paid off.

Thur 15th. The beautiful St James Church at Muswell Hill, London, was the venue for the gig, with good friend Joel Payne superbly organising the whole thing. Mark's jazz set at the beginning of the evening went down particularly well, with Mike Haughton on sax and Julian Ferraretto on violin being particularly on form. Joseph (my son, on his first tour, and his first public foray into the world of jazz playing) has been doing absolutely superbly, and has made me feel a very proud father!

Fri 16th. Christ Church, Braintree, Essex, was the third venue, with Alan Rolls doing a great job of organising the event. A slight panic as Mark Edwards fought his way through the Friday afternoon Dartford Tunnel traffic to get to the gig on time, but he managed it, the place was packed, and the atmosphere was fantastic - people really ready to worship and have a good time, appreciating the variety of colours and styles of music through the evening, all done as an act of worship to God.

Sat 17th. Up at St Richard's, Hanworth, London for the last of the four consecutive gigs. My wife Caroline was able to come up with us for the first time, which was a real bonus. Paul Hughes (who I know from the typsetting work he does for Kingsway) again looked after us so well, and once again the place was packed, and people really participated fully and enthusiastically, and there was even a little bit of folk dancing going on at the front at the end! Joseph also played his first jazz drum solo!

So it has been a thoroughly enjoyable and encouraging start to the tour. What has been most uplifting has been seeing and hearing the reaction of people to the exploration of different musical styles in worship; from the superb improvisations of Mark's jazz set, to the stomping reels of the folk arrangements, to the beautiful atmospheric soundscapes of Psalm 23 and Gethsemane.

I suppose I am used to people responding to the lyrical content of the songs, but to hear them describing how the superb expressive musicianship of the band has taken them even further into their worship of God is really exciting, and was very much part of Mark and my vision for the tour.

And Mark, as usual, has been an absolute rock - breathtaking playing, a real sensitivity to the dynamics of the worship, really holding the band together, and being such a help and encouragement to me - and all with a humility and serving heart that makes him a joy to work with.

It would be great to see you at one (or more) of the remaining gigs on the tour. Click the "View Diary" for details.

Thank you to all who contacted about the forthcoming tour. I now have 9 dates fixed in October in various parts of the country, which I will shortly list in my diary. Sorry to those who we couldn't fit in - but there's a strong possibility we may try and do this again in the spring. So if you'd like to be involved then, please drop me a line. (I'd particularly like to hear from churches in the north of England and Scotland who would be interested in having us, as we haven't made it very far north this time round!)

 For those of you who have asked, I am still doing solo concerts around the UK, and would like to hear from you if you would like to host an event in November, and think you could gather a crowd of 300 or more.

 Finally, I'd just like to mention that I am touring in a couple of weeks with Keith and Kristyn Getty in Belfast, Londonderry, Chessington, Ipswich, Brighton and Dundee. Details on the diary page, or by going to www.gettymusic.com. It would be great to see you at one of the events. I would particularly like to plug the event in my own hometown, Brighton, on 27th June, where we will be performing at the Dome with the All Souls Orchestra and a choir made up of singers from a number of local churches. It promises to be a great evening. Tickets available from www.brightondome.org, or by phoning 01273 709709.