2007 winners
2007 winners
Susan Greydanus, Annette Saul, Gareth Hill and Ellen Haining, the 2007 winners
You can listen to the winning entries online and download sheet music.
The sheet music for the hymns is in PDF format (help with PDF).
Susan Greydanus - Let me see the glory
Susan Greydanus is a singer, songwriter and worship leader at an active, independent church in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Her husband Ronald is a countertenor lay-clerk, singing professionally in the choir at Ely Cathedral. They sing together, in alto-soprano harmony, in concerts and leading worship. Both grew up in Canada in homes full of hymns and believe their approach is a blend of the modern and traditional worship styles. With their accompanist Patrick Brandon, they are known as Jubilee Gospel Trio and have recorded an album of original worship songs, and another of favourite hymns.
Susan teaches primary school in Thetford, Norfolk, where she loves to play the guitar and sing with the children. She has been writing songs for 10 years and believes that lyrics should both flow naturally and reflect deeply on some aspect of the grace or glory of God. In recent years two other of her songs have placed in the finals of Christian song competitions.
Annette Saul - One with Him
Annette is an American living in England with her husband, assigned there with the US Army. They have been married 35 years and have two grown daughters. Annette has attended church all her life and became a Christian at age 10, although she feels that it wasn't until much later that she gave her whole heart to God. Although Annette grew up in a Baptist church and still attends one now, she considers herself first and foremost a Christian and feels comfortable to worship wherever God's word is proclaimed fully. She prefers contemporary music with hymns sprinkled in, but loves the words of the old hymns.
Annette says, "I had recently written a poem which is all about how we are One with God through Jesus. So the idea came to try to make the song from this poem, but it didn't work. However, I do feel the basics of the poem are there in the words to the song. I hope that anyone reading or singing the words will realise... that we have power of God Almighty working in our lives through the Holy Spirit."
Gareth Hill - Dear Lord, where are the signs of hope?
The Rev. Gareth Hill is a former journalist, now a Methodist minister in Wadebridge, Cornwall. In addition to pastoring chapels in North Cornwall, Gareth plays guitar and leads worship as part of the band Grace Notes. He writes both contemporary worship songs and hymns.
Gareth says "I love hymns, especially the rich harmonies that I remember from my Welsh chapel upbringing. But I am also a child of the 1970s and love the pop music of that era." He believes the European church ignores pop culture to its detriment. Gareth recently pioneered Tubestation, a 'surf church' complete with skate ramp and internet cafe serving fairtrade coffee, based in a Cornish beachside chapel.
Gareth says "Somewhere inside me is a passion for people to discover God for themselves. My writing is one way of trying to give people a picture of how faithful God is with his church and how much he longs for people to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."
Dear Lord, where are the signs of hope? (2:15 mins)Tune name: Draycott. Music: Barry Rose. Conditions for using these files (PDF)
Ellen Haining - Where are the people?
Ellen grew up in the village of Tiptree in Essex. At age 18 she moved to Yorkshire, where she still lives, to attend Leeds College of Music. Ellen and her husband Skip have three children, Charlotte, Scott and Jack.
Ellen is a full-time mother and part-time music teacher. She spends a lot of her spare time writing poems, short sketches, stories and plays for family services and material for children's Christian holiday clubs. Her winning lyrics are part of a poem Ellen wrote following a Holy Week holiday club, inspired by the singing of the children.
Where are the people? (1:37 mins)Tune name: Didsbury. Music: Barry Rose. Conditions for using these files (PDF)