"To Whom Much Is Given Shall Much Be Required."

My heart was now fixed. I would use all the resources I had been given by God to praise Him and seek to draw people's attention to Him who is the only One who can 'satisfy the longing heart and fill the hungry heart with goodness.' (See Psalm 107: 9.) It was time to concentrate on the singing and song writing side of things while there was time for me to do so.

I kept saving up until I had enough to buy some software for my old computer to enable me to compose my music and save it for future use – in a Recording Studio! When it was installed I took the plunge and lifted the phone to make that all important call to the Recording Studio. I soon was speaking to somebody who graciously answered all of my questions and advised me how to continue with my venture. I was greatly encouraged and set to work composing my arrangements to take with me into the studio to sing to.

Unfortunately just after I started working on my arrangements our church family was plunged into a deep valley experience causing a great sadness to us all and it was not appropriate to disclose to anyone what I was doing at that time. So I worked long and hard – in secret. Not even family members knew what I was up to. I had to wait for the right time to disclose what I was doing so as not to appear insensitive to all my loved ones who were just coming to terms with the passing of a very much loved and dear friend.

Six months after work began I was ready with my arrangements and I called the Recording Studio again; this time to book in for recording sessions. It was now time to disclose to my friends and family what I had been doing. It was then I learned that there were some who had been quietly praying for me and continued to do so faithfully while I continued at work on my first album.

The morning of my first visit to the studio arrived and I was very nervous about what I was about to do. With my CD of data for my music in my hand and all the lyrics for the hymns and songs I would be recording close by I knelt once again before my Lord and committed all that I was about to do into His hands, asking Him for His help and some of His courage because I didn't have any of my own. I then rose up and went on my way to do something I had never done before.

When I arrived I felt like a fish out of water and all out of place but the courage and strength given to me the Lord was just enough to overcome my inhibitions. It took quite some time to get used to the sound of my recorded voice. It always sounds different coming at you from speakers and for a while I didn't like what I was hearing. The sound of my voice made me cringe and feel very silly. That's when the encouragement of the folks in the studio meant a lot and kept me going until all fifteen songs were recorded and were ready for editing.

By Christmas that year I had a demonstration CD ready to give away to folks. If the reception was favourable then the more intense work would be done to bring the recordings up to a standard good enough to use in production and circulation later on. I was very much encouraged to continue on and it took nineteen months for the whole project to be completed, from the time I began work on the arrangements to the time the “A String of Pearls” CD was released.