Dave Bilbrough: The worship music veteran speaks about the Paul Simon legacy

Tuesday 1st June 1993

Jonathan Bellamy met up with songwriter and worship leader DAVE BILBROUGH.

Dave Bilbrough
Dave Bilbrough

The day that Dave Bilbrough swopped his Monkees album for the Paul Simon Songbook could be called, for want of a better cliche, 'the most important day in his life.' From that moment he was gripped with a need to know the truth. "I became fascinated by Paul Simon's songwriting. He was asking questions like 'there must be more to life than this', 'there must be some sense of purpose', and I could identify with that. Suddenly I was asking myself the same questions. I looked into a few different religions and philosophies but then I came across Jesus Christ. Every other religion, although they offered a lifestyle, they seemed to say; 'if YOU make yourself better, then maybe God might bring his mercy to bear upon you', but Jesus seemed to deal with it straight away because he said; 'you come to me just as you are'. So, I began to ask, 'God, if you're real give me the faith to believe that you are real'". It was a slow process, there were no ringing bells or flashing lights. But God gradually answered his prayer and, like many of us when we look back at a crisis point in our lives, Dave Bilbrough finally gave himself over 'lock, stock and barrel'.

This was in 1973, and almost instantly Dave was confronted with a problem, a criticism that in different respects might still be levelled at the church today, one of cultural relevancy. "On becoming a Christian I started to go along to my local church and found that many of the hymns and songs that they were singing I just couldn't relate to. They were using words that were in a language and tradition I was not familiar with and very often I didn't understand the terminology. So, I got this old guitar and I started to strum along to the songbook of the day and from there came the very first song I ever wrote. At the time I was going through a difficult patch, but I knew I had discovered something of the fatherhood of God and I knew that a relationship with Him was the only thing that would keep me secure, nothing else. Out of that response, came a very simple melody and some very simple words, and the song became 'Abba Father'".

The success of 'Abba Father' was phenomenal. Within months it was being sung across the churches in Britain and eventually throughout the world. More importantly, Dave was encouraged by his church leaders, John Noble and Gerald Coates, to function within the associated churches and was given the freedom to make mistakes. By the age of 19 he had led worship in the Royal Albert Hall.

Over the next twenty years, Dave Bilbrough became a name synonymous with praise and worship. He recorded eight albums, including 'God Of Grace' and 'An Army Of Ordinary People' which are generally regarded as the first two authentic live praise and worship albums recorded in the UK (Kingsway have recently re-released them as a double album). He has toured relentlessly, including with Don Francisco in 1987/88 and once continuously for 35 nights. In a typical year he will still do 150 dates including Spring Harvest, various Bible Weeks and an annual tour of Ireland.' Regularly he travels to Africa, the Far East (a missionary in Malaysia has asked him back four times), Europe and, through the house church movement, the States.

So, with all these achievements, what does Dave feel the high points have been? Dave was very sure of his answer: "For me, it is the impact that I feel my songs are having on people's lives. Very often the stories of how the songs have touched people and enabled their own personal encounter with God are the real high points. I see my role more in terms of ministry than career. Basically a worship leader is only someone who is a worshipper but uses his skills and gifts to encourage other people into worship. They are people who do not just have a singing ability, but have a depth of spirituality too".

Jesus once said to his disciples "when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth". To worship God honestly and truthfully therefore requires us to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, all the more so for a worship leader seeking to lead others into worship. Dave agrees: "For me it is the most important thing. The essence of becoming proficient as a songwriter/worship leader is to be sensitive and open to God's voice. The Old Testament musicians it says, were called aside because they were 'skillful1. This actually meant more than they could just play well, it meant they were sensitive and intuitive. It's not just a case of stringing together a few songs but to be sensitive, open and brave, to be able to stand in stillness and say 'I believe that God is going to speak now', or to change direction from something slow and majestic to something really praise orientated. To hear what God is saying is my constant desire and longing."

Dave's first encounter with what some might call the charismatic movement occurred in the early 70s above an East End pub. "It was the only hall we could hire at the time where people from many different denominations and traditions could come together to worship. It was my first encounter with a worship that was from the heart, a worship that allowed God to speak, and although the songs were very simplistic, 'His Banner Over Me Is Love' and 'Thy Loving Kindness' were the smash hits of the day, the sincerity and heart felt compassion towards God absolutely knocked me out. I love that spirit of adventure when God takes those chords and those songs to touch our hearts".

Another example of this openness to the Spirit of God occurred a little later on in Dave's ministry. "I remember sitting in a meeting with Gerald Coates listening to some speaker. As I was sitting there it was one of those situations where you couldn't think of anything to sing. No chorus fitted the topic the guy was speaking about. But while I sat there I felt God say to me, 'Just go up and stand next to him.' I thought 'Lord, I can't do this.' Suddenly I was bold, I stood up next to him and as I stood there I saw him give me a sideways glance. 'What do I do now?' I thought. 'Just play your guitar', God said. Well, he was still preaching, but I did. As he moved on into prayer the temptation came on me to sing a chorus, but I felt God saying no. I just played the guitar like David in the Old Testament, and through it we entered into the most wonderful worship time. I believe faith is the key to worship leading; taking those risks."

However, there have also been times when Dave admits to having grieved the Holy Spirit's guidance. "Sometimes you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you, perhaps to say something or perhaps to give an appeal or to open up the possibility that people might be healed, and instead you move on and that moment is gone. Afterwards you're left with the thought 'well I wonder what would have happened?' So, you don't always get it right but worship leading is a learning experience."

One of the most noticeable things about Dave Bilbrough's music is its folky feel. In particular the early albums 'Dave Bilbrough And Friends' and 'Lift Me Up' exhibit a real non-glossy, 'me and my guitar' kind of earthiness. Dave listed his influences: "I like songwriters, people like James Taylor and Paul Simon, and on guitar I particularly like Ry Cooder. However on the CCM side I enjoy Kevin Prosch's worship stuff. It's stimulating and not formularised. There's a freshness. Also, Bryn Haworth - I like his attitude to music. For me it's important that music comes out of a background and a culture, that it's got a history to it, that it's got roots. I think particularly in praise and worship there are 'clip-on' roots, ie, 'Let's try a bit of reggae for this song, let's try a bit of gospel for this', and there is not the musical appreciation and tradition for it. So, I like roots, folkiness, because it's the music of the people and modern contemporary worship songs should be the music of the people".

Maybe Dave's preferred style is folk roots but he's not adverse to trying the odd rock 'n' roll number too. Following hot on the success of his first song 'Abba Father' came the not so well received 'Gospel Rock 'n' Roll.' Dave looks back on it with joking affection. With lyrics like: 'We're singing songs with laughter/The Lord is in control/All because we're grooving/To that gospel rock and roll' and 'Clap your hands together/Shout and stamp your feet/Dig that crazy rhythm/Let's jive to the Spirit's beat', there's a good chance that Dave might not have turned out to be the renowned songwriter that he is today. Thankfully, good advice was on hand in the form of a well-delivered verdict from the renowned writer and house church leader Arthur Wallis. "Just stick to the ballads Dave!" And as a result a whole bundle of Sunday favourites have been penned; 'So Freely', 'As We Seek' and the more uptempo 'I Am A New Creation' and 'Shout For Joy And Sing', to name a few.

Of course the problem with having a few classics is that everybody expects you to sing them wherever you go, so I asked Dave whether he ever got bored? "Sometimes I get bored with the THOUGHT of singing them but then for me that is when a worship leader moves into his gift, to get hold of what we're singing and channel and direct it to people. However, I know but for God moving things won't happen. You see it's easy to hype people up to a certain level and an insecure worship leader can know how to push all the right buttons, but it won't lead people into an experience of God, only give them a high. For effective worship I find there's always a warming up process. You begin to stir your own heart until there comes a moment where you let go in your heart and say 'Lord, now where are we going?' That for me is mature worship leading, getting hold of the congregation, taking them somewhere and then letting them go and leaving it to the Lord".

In the beginning, when Dave first got involved in the charismatic movement, by his own admission it was "fresh, exciting, vital, unpredictable and creative." However, over the years this rawness seems to have been smoothed out and a more sophisticated, almost 'novelty for the sake of novelty', attitude has crept in. Being on the forefront of worship I asked Dave whether he felt a change was a long time overdue. "There does tend to be a kind of Spring Harvest model, that pop-rock based format", he explained, "and really I would like to see a greater diversity in the styles of music, but only as long as they have the integrity of being born out of experience in life. I'd love to see violins and mandolins coming more to the front, and classical music too. Also there needs to be different expressions of worship - more silence, more meditation, more time for the Scriptures to be read in more creative ways, perhaps by dramatising them. We need to think creatively how we can express and explore worship, but it must come from a humility of heart to want to give glory to God, not to create novelty items".

There is a real sense of vulnerability about Dave Bilbrough. On stage, normally with just a guitar or keyboards, you know he is not hiding behind anything. It is raw and it is real and it is vulnerable. You can trust that this man only wants to give God the glory. This honesty translates into Dave's everyday walk. The truth of this was alluded to in CR 5 when Dave explained his songwriting technique. "More often than not the original, primary inspiration is something fresh I'm learning, or an experience I may be going through at that time." When I asked him about this Dave highlighted the experience that led to the writing of the song 'Sacrificial Love' (from the album of the same name).

"A few years ago I was invited to sing at a particular Christian gathering, one that other people would not have wanted to be identified with - no, no names! What I discovered was that there were some people who had strong feelings one way and others who had strong feelings the other way and I had to ask myself, 'Am I afraid of my own reputation or what do I really feel before God?' As I came before God over this I was overcome by a great feeling of the sacrificial love that Christ came and gave to us. That, in our turning our back on him, He did the very thing we wouldn't do which is to identify with the poor and with the needy and all those that would seem to stand in the way if we wanted to create a successful platform for our ministry. Through the difficulties in my life, financial, relational, spiritual, I have found myself drawn deeper in my experience of the grace of God and my understanding of who we are. Our security is based not on the things we do but upon our relationships with Him. That is the all important thing, and I believe if you trace back through my songs you will find that each one is a milestone in my life, a landmark of the things that I went through, and the grace of God that saw me through it".

'Teach me Lord
To make my life as an offering
To tell the world that Jesus Christ is king,
For the Glory of God".
(chorus to 'Sacrificial Love') CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.
About Jonathan Bellamy
Jonathan BellamyJonathan Bellamy is the CEO of Cross Rhythms. He presents the daily City Drive radio programme and is married to Heather.


 

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