Gift of Music

By Margaret Gunn (Editor)

Posted in Faith,Culture

When Nelson Varcoe was a young boy at Point Pearce Mission, Yorke Peninsula, on hot summer nights he would roam far from the camp-fires, the voices of his Uncles singing old Gospel songs echoed across the landscape.

Nelson has been singing and composing ever since he was twelve, when he cobbled together his first guitar, salvaging strings from the choke cables of an old Model-T-Ford. Now Gift of Music, his first collection of twenty-five original ‘God-inspired’ songs has been published and is available for people of every culture to learn, enjoy and share.

Nelson has dedicated this collection to people who mentored him in his faith: Aboriginal Christian Pioneers who travelled all across this country on the smell of an oily rag, to bring the Gospel to our People. The country-gospel style ensures singable melodies, easy-move rhythms and memorable lyrics that take us into prayer, praise, reflection and proclamation about the wonder of God in our lives.

The Gift of Music project has been completed during the COVID-19 lockdown! Songs recorded by Peter Hacquoil were transcribed from the CD by Margaret Gunn using Sibelius Ultimate – a manuscript writing program. The melody lines, guitar chords and full text of words are provided as well as the CD, making the songs accessible to everyone regardless of their musical training.

An original painting that Nelson gifted to his son, is reproduced on the front cover. There is a list of Bible passages referenced in many of the songs, some biographical notes about Nelson and a Foreword by Rev Dean Whittaker of Adelaide Congress Ministry, where Nelson has been Pastor and Worship Leader since 2004.

Available from Mission Resourcing at UCA SA, Gift of Music (book and CD) is priced at $29.95 (plus $10 for postage and packaging). Turn on Javascript! Ph: 08 8236 4200. Payment is by credit card, direct deposit, cheque or cash.


More from Faith

Subscribe to receive Faith articles by email >

Faith

Stories of Life

Who doesn’t love a story? Hope, conflict, wonder, desperation, loneliness, surprise, love, a hero. Story seems to be wired into our DNA. We all tell them, and we find many ways to do them.

Faith

Reflection of the Week - 19th March 2024

The act of making a pilgrimage – traveling to a sacred place to encounter the divine – is ancient, probably as old as humanity itself. Perhaps the first Christian pilgrimage was that of the Wise Men, men who were not even believers in the Messiah, but who knew that “something” drew them from their homes and studies. Unsure as to what they sought, they found not a someTHING, but a someONE: Christ the Lord.

Faith

Reflection of the Week - 26th March 2024

Reflect, today, upon how willing you are to embrace sacrifice in your own life. No, your sacrifices are not able to save the world by their own merit, but if you face your crosses in life, be they big or small, and if you intentionally and wholeheartedly unite them to the actions of Jesus that first Holy Week, then you can be certain that you will suffer with our Lord. But you can also be certain that your suffering will be transformed by the power of this Holy Week and lead you to a glorious sharing in His triumph over all sin and suffering.


Comments

Comments (3)