Interview

Comfort in concert

‘YOU are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word’ (Psalm 119:114). When people reflect on recent years, they might begin to read verses like this with new eyes. The storm that is recent history has affected so many of us – who hasn’t, at some point, sought a refuge?

Built on music of days gone by, opera singer Brindley Sherratt’s new album hopes to point to the ultimate refuge, reminding us that, even if everything around us is falling apart, we have hope and comfort in God.

Raised just outside Manchester, Brin fondly remembers Sundays at Cadishead Corps that ‘started early, were very noisy, wonderfully musical, thoroughly exhausting and, above all else, fun’. He grew up in a musical Army family, with everyone in the household playing an instrument and singing. Among other activities, his dad, Jack, served as songster leader and his mum, Jean, served as singing company leader and Brin and his sisters were part of the band. Today, Brin is a critically acclaimed bass singer and performs with companies and in concerts around the globe.

It was reminiscing about childhood memories from Cadishead with Stuart Hall, a long-term friend and the owner of Citadel Promotions, that planted the seed of inspiration for Refuge. Thinking back on the anthems and choruses from their youth, the thought of recording some old Army music was initially no more than a fun idea. But, as the Covid-19 pandemic spread around the world, the words of those old songs began to take on a deeper meaning.

Brin found himself in a challenging situation as a performer during the pandemic, as opera houses closed their doors. Nevertheless, although he now worships at an independent evangelical church, the Army has remained a comfort in tough times. He reflects on how two Army songs that his dad used to sing got stuck in his head and became ‘a comforting earworm’: ‘He Hideth My Soul’ (SASB 825) and ‘It Is Well with My Soul’ (SASB 741).

‘Let’s face it,’ he admits, ‘although the lockdowns are over, things are pretty grim. I think we’re living in really weird times. Everything has been shaken. I wanted to put something out there to share with people the message that, even though everything around us looks pretty bleak, God is faithful to provide a refuge for us. That’s simply it.’

In addition to sharing a message of hope, Refuge has become a tribute to Brin’s parents and his past:

‘I put in “Deep River” for Mum. She used to do a lot of solo singing and that was one of her pieces. And we included “He Hideth My Soul” because of the link with Dad. ‘But you know, it’s not to do

Brindley Sherratt tells Simon Hope about his new album Refuge

with me. It was a joy for Stuart and me to put together and I hope that people in the Army enjoy it.’

The album includes classic Army songs alongside pieces from the wider Church, with several new arrangements by Stephen Bulla providing ‘a little 21stcentury shine’.

‘Some are tender and others we’ve given the full-throated operatic treatment,’ Brin explains. ‘Some you may know, many you may not. Some are quaint and some are sublime. But whatever you think, I hope that maybe even one line might be your comforting earworm when it’s all a bit shaky.’

l Refuge is available from

citadelpromotions.co.uk

priced £13.95

SIMON HOPE

Editorial Assistant Salvationist