Category Archives: Features: Miscellaneous

Understanding Pope Benedict XVI

Posted on December 31, 2022 by WalkerWords

In 2010, with Pope Benedict XVI coming to the UK, I interviewed award-winning film-maker Mark Dowd, whose Benedict: Trials of a Pope was being shown on BBC1 and BBC2 in advance of the visit. I wanted to know what he … Continue reading →

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A Song for Change

Posted on May 1, 2021 by WalkerWords

Can a song change lives or communities? Three songwriters hope that We Seek Your Kingdom will do just that. So does the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC), who have commissioned it, along with the Thy Kingdom Come movement. Revd. … Continue reading →

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The Rise and Fall of Christian Rock – A Personal View: Pt 1. The Pioneers

Posted on December 7, 2019 by WalkerWords

Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) hits 50 years old this winter. This 4-part series tells its story and is an expanded version of the feature Christianity Magazine published in Dec 2019.

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The Rise and Fall of Christian Rock – A Personal View: Pt 2. The Professionals

Posted on December 6, 2019 by WalkerWords

While Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) became established over the 1970s, music of true professional quality was more the exception than the rule. But across the following two decades, the genre – as it was to become – exploded with talent … Continue reading →

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The Rise and Fall of Christian Rock – A Personal View: Pt 3. The Problems

Posted on December 6, 2019 by WalkerWords

When comedian Ross Noble appeared on the TV show Room 101, where celebrities list the several items that they would most like to eradicate from the world, his first choice (ahead of “people with clipboards”, Craig David and “people who … Continue reading →

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The Rise and Fall of Christian Rock – A Personal View: Pt 4. The Present

Posted on December 6, 2019 by WalkerWords

In the 1970s the pioneers of Christian rock had plenty of passion and several had great talent, but rarely the resources to make polished work. When the demand grew in the following decade, outstripping supply, resources came flooding in, creating … Continue reading →

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Where is God in the Suffering?

Posted on December 16, 2018 by WalkerWords

Eating salad in a local Beefeater with my friend Martin Riddall, all seemed well. Part of our chat was about whether I might visit his church in Bristol, where he was working with students. We had no idea that within … Continue reading →

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Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Daughter of the Church

Posted on August 19, 2018 by WalkerWords

You are huge when people know you by one name only. Like Bowie and Prince, the prized pair that we lost in 2016, Aretha Franklin was one such singer. The name ‘Aretha’ only meant one person – and often, when … Continue reading →

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Crackly Vinyl, Trump, The Smell of Poo and a Phantom Ivor Biggun – Music in 2017

Posted on December 30, 2017 by WalkerWords

2017 started musically in defiant fashion, as stars boycotted President Trump’s inauguration concert. Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé played for the incoming President Obama, but the list of those refusing to play for Trump is more stellar than those … Continue reading →

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Mark Heard: A Treasure of the Broken Land

Posted on October 23, 2017 by WalkerWords

That Mark Heard turned down the offer of touring with Dylan and T-Bone Burnett speaks both of his talent and his humility. He may not have had the chance to make a big splash from that tour, but the ripples … Continue reading →

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Spiritual Protein for your Music Menu

Posted on February 28, 2017 by WalkerWords

If you have come here from the Christianity Magazine article “Lies our Worship Music Culture Tells Us” then welcome to you.  There was so much I wanted to add, but space was too short. So here are here are some … Continue reading →

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2016 in Music: Shock and Awe

Posted on January 8, 2017 by WalkerWords

The biggest musical occurrence of 2016 was arguably a death. David Bowie’s demise was a Shock-and-Awe event: shock that it happened and awe at the way Bowie orchestrated his passing. Rather than fading away, Bowie created an album that – … Continue reading →

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Has Faith Helped Bob Dylan to Win his Nobel Prize?

Posted on October 24, 2016 by WalkerWords

For the first time in its history, the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to a musician, leaving its winner, Bob Dylan, “speechless” at the award. However, it took him weeks to acknowledge it, causing  a member of the … Continue reading →

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U2@40: Is Bono the Messiah, or a very Naughty Boy?

Posted on October 2, 2016 by WalkerWords

Most U2 fans will have plenty of stand-out memories. Mine began in 1981, when they played the birthday party for my local rock club in Aylesbury. I knew none of their songs at that time, and instead of my normal … Continue reading →

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Christmas Gifts

Posted on June 14, 2012 by WalkerWords

I had two selections in Christianity Magazine’s 2010 Christmas gifts round up: a round up of the year’s music and Gifts for Him.

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