Tony Cummings quizzed rock music's keyboard virtuoso RICK WAKEMAN about his 'Amazing Grace' DVD and CD set.

Rick: Well, as I said it was on the life of John Newton and the story of "Amazing Grace". We spent six weeks filming and I have to say that of all the TV I have ever done I was immensely proud of being part of this. More than anything else. Jonathan Mayo wrote the script and produced and directed the film and it was just so well done and it was like it just sucked you in, the whole story. I mean, I don't think I've read so many books in such a short time. Every spare moment you just got sucked in more and more. The people we met and talked to - I can't put it into words. Every day was just a thrill to go out and film and to meet new people. We filmed all over the UK, everywhere that Newton had been from Liverpool to Chatham, to Olney in Buckinghamshire to Walworth in London. We were at the Maritime Museum, we went to New York. We met up with the original shape note choirs, the choirs who sing the old psalters. It was just an amazing time.

Tony: Getting back to the 'Amazing Grace' recording sessions, in what way were they a challenge?

Rick: When you're doing variations on melodies it's very important that you never lose sight of land so to speak, so even if it's way, way in the distance it's still there as a speck because at some juncture you have to turn round and come back. And when you write a melody it's very important how you perform it, that it's performed from the heart. You literally close your eyes and take that journey. So I was very aware that this was not something that I could do quickly, kind of "Oh yeah, I'll do the recording over two weeks." I spoke with Robert and said, "I can tell you looking at my diary I've got a few stressful days of work coming up but there I've got a nice little two day patch. What I would like to do, I'll prepare myself on the first day and come in on the second day and I will do three (hymns). Which three I don't know. I will sit down at the piano, open the music and then I will say to you: 'All Things Bright And Beautiful' and I'll record that. That's the only way I can do this." So we did the recording over a period of a couple of months.

Tony: Of all the dozens and dozens of recordings that you've made, how many have you actually done on the concert grand? You're best known as a synth player.

Rick: Yeah, it's probably only a dozen on the grand over nearly 40 years. I do enjoy sitting at the piano, I must admit.

Tony: What piano did you do your composing and arranging on?

Rick: The piano I learned to play on. My father's upright Bechstein which was made in 1899 which I learned to play on. It was his piano and I inherited it when he died. We moved two years ago and the first thing I did - there's a fabulous piano restorer literally 10 miles from my house where people from all over Europe send their pianos to be restored. So I booked the piano in and he spent four months completely restoring it. So there's a great deal of nostalgia when I sit down because on the top of the piano there's a picture we found of me aged 10 playing that actual piano.

Tony: Of all the hymns on 'Amazing Grace' which one had lyrics which spoke most deeply to you?

Rick: If you asked me that question every month, I'd probably give you a different answer each time. But at this particular period of time "Amazing Grace" is something that is very much at the forefront of my mind. Probably if I had to give you another answer now it would be, of all things, the children's hymn "All Things Bright And Beautiful". We're very fond of our garden here, Rachel and I. We do love our garden. This is what happens to old rockers: we come out and plant flowers. And of course this is the time of the year when the garden comes to life and it really is all things bright and beautiful.

Tony: And you really do see that as a metaphor for spiritual renewal do you?

Rick: I really do because you know it's what we look for in life. I don't read the newspapers anymore except for the sports pages when Manchester City have won so that's about three times a year! There's so much depressing news and things about and I'm sick to death of them. Rachel and I have talked about it. What's really sad is, yes, of course, there are rotten things in the world and yes we should know and be aware and try and do something about it. But for heaven's sake to counter that there's tons and tons of great things going on and wonderful things to look at. So we sit in the garden and walk round and we lead a very simple life. We've got two little rescued cats we adore and it's so wonderful. We can just sit in the garden and watch a flower over a period of a week - what it does, and think: this is incredible and it puts a smile on your face. I'm not suggesting you ignore all the problems in the world and don't try and do anything, but boy it helps you try and do something better. You can't solve the problem when you're grumpy.