January 2010

What a great start to the new year. Lots of snow and lots of fun! I started the year with a wedding, no, not my own but that of my good friend Yvonne Richmond to the dashing Ross Rulloch. What an amazing day, and amazing privilage to perform a very special song 'You bring the sun out'. Anybody remember it?

Our daughter Francesca performed at the Belgrade Theatre's Christmas Panto of Beauty and the Beast (18 shows) in Coventry, well done Franny, we are all so proud of you!!! 

I'm looking forward to a busy few months which starts Friday 5th at the Ricoh Arena (check out my diary page) and Scotland the week after.

Stay in touch and speak to you soon!

April/May 09

What an amazing few months. As Head of Events at Coventry Cathedral, I enjoy a very busy schedule overseeing commercial events. I've had the privilege of performing at lots of events there. It was a real honour to be asked to sing at the memorial service of one the Cathedral's most loyal, dedicated and honourable members, David Rennison, Church Warden. My prayers go out to Mary and the family during this difficult time.

My thanks to Joe Eliot for inviting me to sing at The Ricoh Arena in February in front of 22,000 people, amazing.....and Coventry won too!!  

Lots of irons are in the fire including further work with BBC Coventry and Warwickshire (sponsors of the GEM Gospel award I won in 2005), concerts with Christian Aid as well as the launch of a compilation album which will include my song 'Sweet Surrender'. The album will accompany the launch of a book by my good friend ,Steve Alexander Smith called 'British Black Gospel, the Foundations of This Vibrant Sound', published by Monarch, due for release July 2009 - check out http://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Black-Gospel-Foundations-Vibrant/dp/1854248960/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243508994&sr=8-2

Take care and God bless!

October/November 08

I had the amazing privilage of performing at Coventry Telegraph Hero awards at Stoneleigh. It was so moving to see so many very special people receive these awards, unsung heroes of our community. I performed 'Hero' by Mariah Carey - how amazing that a few days later that song became the new release from the X Factor.

Well I'm looking forward to a very busy period over the next few months. I've been invited to sing at BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire's Christmas Carol Concert (Dec 6th) which I'm really excited about. I'll also be performing one of the tracks from my new album. Hear the broadcast on Christmas Day!

ITV Central will be filming me performing with the fantastic Beracha Faith Gospel Choir in the Cathedral Ruins, can't wait!! Watch the broadcast on Christmas Day!!

The next Gospel Grand Summit takes place at the Drum, Birminghan, 14th Nov and I'll be facilitating a workshop. If you're a fan of gospel music, book your place now, places are limited. Be part of this important event which seeks to impact the world of gospel music here in the UK. 

My song reaches 'Top Pick' at Myrrh Music- read on!

Read Sandra's latest interview with THE GOODNEWS.CO.UK: 

Read below Sandra's latest interview with Tony Cummings from Cross Rhythms Magazine

1.       Can you give me a potted biography (where you were brought up, how you first got involved in singing, your Christian conversion, etc)? 
Although I was born in Bristol, (UK) l was actually bought up in Derby. Both my brother and I grew up going to Sunday School and we’ve both got great memories of coming home after Sunday School and reciting Bible verses to our parents.

I absolutely loved church as a young girl. At 13 I went away to a youth camp and it was while I was in a meeting that I suddenly became aware that this message was for me. It was if the room had gone misty and the guy at the front was just talking to me. He talked about knowing all about God but not really know him personally. I knew that this message was me but I was too scared to respond by going down to the front of the church. So I waited till I got back to my room and I remember clearly saying ‘God if you’re really there, prove yourself to me’. I kinda thought angels would come leaping out of the wardrobe to a fanfare of music but nothing happened so I went to bed, a little disappointed. The next morning I couldn’t believe what had happened. An incredible peace had come over me and it was as if a huge burden had been taken away from me. I felt lighter and happier. I knew God was in me and I couldn’t stop crying – I’d found my Maker! 

After that I threw myself into most things. So much so, that by the age of 15 I became a Sunday School Teacher. What a cool time that was. My earliest memory of singing was leading songs with my guitar at Sunday school – 3 chords went a long way then! I gradually built up to 4 chords and started writing my own songs which I would sing at church. I eventually teemed up with 2 other friends - Di and Jennie - and for a season we would write together and perform our songs not just at church but also at outreaches, coffee bars etc.

About 4 years later I joined a band called ‘Voice’ and we played up and down the country at various events. I particularly remember singing at many Youth for Christ Events which were always great fun!

By the age of 25 I wanted wider experience and so joined a secular band as their lead vocalist. This was a cross between Cajun, soul, blues music – a great sound and great experience but after about 3 years I’d had enough of singing in smoky pubs and clubs

2.       What were the circumstances which led to you recording? 
Recording my album has been a dormant dream of mine from an early age but I have to admit that there always seemed a good reason not to go ahead e.g.  lack of money, lack of material, past hurts, marriage, children etc. etc. However, I was always happy to lend a hand on other people’s projects, sing and minister at conferences, festivals and events. But one day, at the tender age 39 (2 years ago) (I think I was changing my daughter’s nappy at the time!) I was suddenly gripped by the reality that I was getting older.

I could see myself sliding downhill all the way to age 40 and wondering if I’d actually achieved everything I wanted to in life. Then really clearly I heard God say ‘It’s time for you to do your album’. You have to realize that I wasn’t going to argue with God even though I thought it was a crazy idea. I didn’t argue because I’ve had a few suddenlies in my life which were definite ‘God moments’, one time being when I suddenly met and got engaged to my husband on the same day! We’ve been married for 13 great years!

Making this dream become a reality was the next task and so I talked to 2 great friends - Chris Bowater and Andy Bromley - who were instrumental in getting me started and helping me focus not just on the immediate (writing songs) but also on the future. I have to say at this point that during this time I was a student at Worship Academy – a 2 year course designed and run by Chris and Andy. It’s I believe that this course was a turning point in my life, drawing out of me my creativity, while challenging and developing my confidence and character.

I’ve got a message behind this album and it’s this: ‘There’s a sweetness waiting to be found when you surrender to God’. I use this message whether I’m singing to a secular or Christian crowd. Surrendering is such an old fashioned word, almost unheard of in some circles. But I think God wants us to come back to that place of vulnerability to him, like a child responding to a loving parent who says ‘Come’. If you’re a parent how awesome do you feel when your frightened child responds by coming to you? This really is awesome stuff!

3.       What's your favourite song on your CD and why?
I love all my songs but the one that really does it for me is ‘The deeper your love’ co written with a great guy in our church, Mike Trahearn. I think this song took us just over an hour to write. I love it because it’s pure scripture taken from Psalm 139, one of my favourites.

I remember specifically thinking about hurting girls who I’d come into contact with around that time. Some of these girls were victims of child abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. I wanted to write a song that would help them find real comfort and hope in God their creator. It’s an incredibly powerful moment when someone opens up their wounds to God and I know that this song has been powerfully used.

4.       How would you say British gospel compares with the American version?
It’s widely accepted that American gospel is so much more a part of the American society than it is here. But I think things are changing over here. For example, today I was on a course with 11 women learning ‘how to be become more empowered’. Each of us had to name a great achievement in our lives and I naturally said that I had recently recorded my debut album at the late age of 40! I mentioned that it was gospel music and they all screamed out “tell me more, I love gospel music” etc etc. I was completely amazed because apart from one other lady, all the others were not Christians. That just confirmed to me that people in our society love and want gospel music.

There is a definite heightened sense of spirituality in our nation and people are certainly seeking something, even if they don’t actually know that it’s God they need. We are called to be salt in the earth and to put goodness into our society. I believe that gospel music has a big part to play – if you put on a gospel track in most environments people will soon start tapping their feet. Not only is the music great but the sentiment behind the words is so powerful.

I think we’ve gone wrong in the past by just servicing the Christian world with this great medium, but what does it take to convince all the ‘not-yet-Christians’ that we have a great product? In the past I think we’ve lacked the ‘big, full, fat sound’ you kinda get from American gospel. We’ve also not paid much attention to the look of what we produce, be it an album with poor picture quality, graphics etc or even just the way we look as artists. American gospel artists take these areas very seriously (sometimes too seriously, I hesitate to say) but in the main I’m sure we’re all aware that marketing is vitally important.

5.       What plans do you have for the future? 
Well, I‘ve now got a great band and plans are already underway for a tour starting later this year. I’m also writing new songs ready for another album. I’m continuing to network with great people including Chris Bowater, Andy Bromley, UCB and Revelation TV. I’m a worship leader at our local church (King’s Community Church, Bedworth) which is really buzzing at the moment as we have 2 services on a Sunday and I also look after the vocal side of things for our choir and band.

Added to all this I have engagements to sing and minister courtesy of Dave Bemment at The Lighthouse Agency, who represents a number of Christian TV personalities and sportsmen including Shane from Boyzone, Tommy Cannon etc. One of my greatest passions is to encouraging worship leaders, female worship leaders in particular. As a female black worship leader I recognise my strengths and I’m committed to being all God’s called me to be.

6.       What spiritual lessons have you learned since the release of the CD? 
Looking back at the last 25 years or so, I can honestly say that my greatest achievement has been serving the local church and the result of that is: you don’t serve God for 25+ years and NOT have something to say. You see, all my grounding has come out of the outworking of solid relationships. I’m not saying that all relationships are easy or for that matter likely to last forever, but God has a mad, crazy way of teaching you life skills through walking in relationship with each other. Like it or not we need each other. Each track on my album is a testimony of real honesty before God.

I recently had a dream where I could see many actors on a stage wearing masks. The audience was shouting ‘Boo! Stop acting! Be yourselves!’ I later realized that what I was seeing was this: The actors were Christians pretending to be someone else, presenting an image that wasn’t real, never being honest, never admitting their failures or weaknesses, always pretending that everything’s alright. The audience was the unchurched, unsaved people in our world who look into our churches and find Christian actors, playing out a role that they can’t relate to. The worse thing about it is that they know we’re acting. They know we have the same challenges as they do, the same hurts, pains, weaknesses, they just want us to be honest with them and let down our guards, let down our masks and relate to them. Out of this dream I wrote and shared a message to our church entitled ‘Will the real you come forward?’

All in all, I’m finding this whole experience exciting, challenging and enjoyable, all at the same time. Sounds like good inspiration for the next CD …….. keep a lookout on my website.

REVELATION TV       http://rmusictv.com/home.aspx

STOP PRESS!! My album is now available in The United States -check out  www.cdbaby.com/godley or www.betarecords.com