News Archive

New CD to mark beatification of Cardinal Newman

Published: [06 Sep 10]

Lead Kindly Light, CDBoyce & Stanley have released a sparkly, new 6 track CD Single to mark the beatification of Cardinal Newman and the Pope’s visit to Britain.

Entitled Lead Kindly Light, the new CD features contemporary re-workings of two of Cardinal Newman’s best-know hymn texts: Firmly I believe and, of course, the title track, Lead Kindly Light.

Fr Richard Duffield, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory and Vice Postulator of the Cause for the Canonisation of Cardinal Newman, speaking about Boyce & Stanley’s latest audio offering, said “Our awe at Newman’s mind can make us forget that he revealed his heart most clearly in his poems and prayers.  These new musical settings are a great way to allow Newman’s heart to speak to the hearts of another generation”.

We truly hope that will be the case.

arrow1 shop: order online now
arrow2 download: press release [PDF]

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Carols in the City Album Recording

Published: [12 Jul 10]

We don’t like to be the first to mention the seasonal “C” word, but we have just spent a surreal few days – the warmest of the British summer so far – recording Christmas songs! It is reminiscent of a balmy summer spent recording our own Christmas album, The Promise…

This time however, we are working with Nigel Hemming, doing guest vocals on the Carols in the City Christmas CD due out this coming Autumn.

Carols in the City is a visionary ecumenical event pioneered by the Vineyard church.  For the past few years – under the musical direction of Nigel Hemming – who is Assistant Pastor and worship coordinator at the Vineyard Network Church in Birmingham – Christian musicians & singers from across the city have joined to lead a massive open-air carol service in the heart of Birmingham’s City Centre.  Apart from being great fun it has been a profound and practical witness of unity in our theological diversity.

Now, the spirit of that live event is being captured on a recording, and it really is very, very exciting to be a part of it. Watch this space for news of the release in the autumn.

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BBC Sunday Half Hour

Published: [12 Jul 10]

Boyce and Stanley joined by a choir during a recording for Radio 4.On Sunday 20th June we had the privilege of recording several songs for BBC Radio 2’s Sunday Half Hour .  The Sunday Half Hour which is presented by Father Brian D’Arcy, celebrates its 70th anniversary this month. The programme, which airs at 8:30pm, broadcasts weekly prayers, hymns and reflections on a set theme, and is one of only two remaining Christian programs on Radio 2, the other being Good Morning Sunday.

We featured on the June 27th episode, which focussed on the theme ‘holy ground’, with emphasis on the idea of making space for God and taking time for contemplation.
Also present at the recording were the choirs, singers and musicians from the parish of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Sutton Coldfield.

The songs, ‘Make Me Holy’, ‘Behold the Lamb’, ‘Sweet Sacrament Divine’ and ‘All are Welcome’ were included in the programme, with the other songs we recorded to be broadcast on November 21st to mark the Feast of Christ the King.

arrow1 Click here for more information about Sunday Half Hour.
arrow1 Click here to view our image gallery on Facebook.

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Brightlights Festival 2010 – On Holy Ground

Published: [06 Jul 10]

Brightlights 2010

Preparations are almost complete for this year’s Brightlights Festival – England’s biggest young adult Catholic festival for 16-30 year olds.  Running from the 16th – 19th JULY, the festival has a spectacular line up of workshops, seminars, speakers and worship leaders – including our own Boyce & Stanley who will be leading the music for many of the main times of worship and liturgy throughout the weekend.

This year the theme delves into the life of St. Alban, Britain’s first Saint and Martyr and festival-goers will hear from great international ethicists like Dr. SHEILA HOLLINS and charismatic characters such as the rapping friar from the Bronx, FR. STAN FORTUNA. Learn from deep thinkers and theologians like Fr. STEPHAN WANG and Sr. JUDITH. Watch challenging drama throughout the weekend from RISEtheatre. The evenings will be filled with the sounds of great bands like hiphop artist ‘Baliva’; the O2 arena playing rock band ‘INDECISIVE’; and ska skanking sounds of, ‘SOUNDS OF SALVATION’!

The packed program including arts tent, BBQ and Hog Roasts, camping field and bar all in the beautiful grounds of the ALL SAINTS PASTORAL CENTRE, LONDON COLNEY. St Alban was arrested on the very site of the festival and we will follow in his footsteps – making the journey from “soldier to saint” – on Brightlights’ first ever Pilgrimage on Sunday afternoon from the festival site to St. Alban’s Cathedral where his relics lie.

arrow1 Find out more: www.brightlights.org.uk
arrow1 Click here to download PDF brochure

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Taste & See octavo published in USA

Published: [16 Jun 10]

Taste & See otavoIt was sure to happen sooner or later, but maybe we should have had a small competition to guess which of the many Boyce & Stanley liturgical classics would be the first to make it into print Stateside.

The Communion processional song, Taste & See, with its unusual structure of simultaneous ostinato refrains has recently been published by World Library Publications as part of their “contemporary series”.

Taste & See began life in a John Fowler Holiday Park chalet while the CJM team were leading the music ministry for the Masses at the Celebrate Conference.  Its first outing on the lips of the congregation led to a spontaneous explosion of sung praise and thanksgiving as the Communion procession came to an end.  The 1000-strong assembly delighted in the freedom to sing which ever refrain the Spirit moved them to at the time – some were probably even making up their own refrains as they went along.

In some ways, if  Taste & See had never been sung again after its powerfully moving debut in Ilfracombe all those years ago, we would still feel that it had served its purpose.  It is a privilege to know though, that across the ocean worshippers we may never meet will have this octavo in their hands and this song on their lips as they taste and see the goodness of the Lord in their own place and time.

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Is the Mass Changing?

Published: [23 Jan 10]
Is the Mass Changing?

Celebrating the Mass & Exploring the Revised Translation

The key to a good celebration of liturgy in School or Parish is “full, active and conscious participation”. With the introduction of new Mass texts imminent we have a unique opportunity to gain new insights into ‘how the liturgy works’ and discover new resources and Mass Settings which will help lift the texts off the page.

Who should attend
This course is for anyone involved or interested in Liturgy – particulary those who have responsibility for planning and preparing liturgies within the context of a Catholic school.

Read the rest of this entry »

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PowerPoint INSET

Published: [21 Oct 09]
PowerPoint INSET

Getting more out of PowerPoint in the Liturgy

Developed in response to feedback from those who attended our PowerPointing the Way INSET course, this course is designed to take your PowerPoint skill to the next level.

The course looks at some of the newer functions and features in later versions of PowerPoint, in the context of using Microsoft PowerPoint as a tool to enhance liturgy and collective worship

Who should attend
This course is for anyone who wants to be able to create stylish, but simple and effective multi-media PowerPoint presentations for use in collective worship. A basic knowledge of PowerPoint is required, and a reasonable level of computer literacy and terminology is assumed.

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Mass of St Bernadette – using the new translation

Published: [16 Jul 09]
Mass of St Bernadette – using the new translation

On Saturday 23rd May, several hundred pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Birmingham will set off to Lourdes, under the leadership of Bishop Philip Pargeter and Bishop David McGough. It promises, as ever, to be a wonderful, faith-filled adventure.

As has been the custom in recent years, the music for the pilgrimage liturgies will be led by Jo Boyce, Mike Stanley, Andrew Ross and a team of able volunteers.

A new Mass setting – Mass of St Bernadette – using the text as set in the forthcoming new translation of the Roman Missal, has been written especially for this year’s pilgrimage, which has as it’s pastoral theme The Path of Bernadette.

MASS OF ST BERNADETTE (Listen Below)

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Music for the Masses…

Published: [16 Jul 09]
Music for the Masses…
This summer, Boyce & Stanley continue their pilgrimage of thanksgiving, sharing songs that have been on the lips of more than three generations of worshippers.

The duo are visiting more than a dozen parishes within their home Archdiocese of Birmingham to lead the music for some of the weekend Masses.

In many respects, this work of helping parishes find a voice in worship through skilled and sensitive music ministry, is closest to the heart of the cjm mission and vision.

Touring the parishes and being able to serve in this way is a real privilege and blessing.

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