Welcome to our web site! We're glad that you have found us.
We are all songwriters and musicians and all the material we play and record is
original (partly because we didn't want to ruin anyone else's songs!)
The name, Anam Caras, comes from the Gaelic, Anam Caras, meaning soul friends.
The band was formed in April 2004 and our first CD called 'Resurrection and Creation' was released
in August 2004. We are grateful that it has received much critical acclaim and some reviews are listed further on this site.
Our second album is now released and it is called 'Peace and the
Spirit'. This is the second in an intended series of three prompted and inspired by Ray Simpson's
Celtic Prayer Book 'Prayer Rhythms'.
Ray is the Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, a worldwide community
with a base on Lindisfarne, the Holy Island, Berwick upon Tweed. It is the first in an intended series of albums covering
a whole week of liturgy in the Celtic Prayer Book.
Both albums have a contemplative and meditative feel and would be equally useful for
individuals or groups in worship or reflective times.
RECENT NEWS
Anam Caras played along with the guests, 'Trinity'
(Holly Smith, Hannah Poole and Abigail Wilkes) at the Annual
Gathering of the Community of Aidan and Hilda on the weekend of 25th and 26th July. A good time was had by all! Watch
out for an album by Trinity.
In September 2005 our debut album was awarded album of the month by the Christian Music Magazine
'Never for Nothing'.
In November 2005 we were included on UCB Radio's playlist and we are being considered
for the Spring Harvest songlist. We are also being played on a number of local radio stations.
In January 2006 our first album was voted one of the best albums on an
independent label in 2005. This was also the month that Terry acquired a duffel coat from a
minister of the cloth - he hasn't taken it off since - see above and below.
In February we were invited to play at Weeford Church near Lichfield. They kindly gave
us the whole of the evening service slot and we hope that everyone who came enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed
being there.
We played at the 'Soul Cafe' in Redditch on 5th March 2006 and received a warm welcome
from our hosts. We enjoyed the evening very much and we even got a booking to play at a wedding of one of the organisers
of the 'Soul Cafe'. Good luck for the wedding and good luck and blessings for the future events at the Soul Cafe you deserve
to go from strength to strength.
We had a song of ours included on a compilation album by 'New Christian Music'
in March 2006. This album is distributed in the music industry throughout the world and we receive feedback
from many. We are now being played on the radio in this country, Australia, Ireland, U.S.A and many others. The song
included on the compilation is 'Hung on High' which is on our new album, 'Peace and the Spirit'. Some of the comments about
this song are as follows:
10/10 Quality in art in performance and production”
Paul Davis, NCM & NCM Radio Show syndicated to 185 stations worldwide
“Quiet, peaceful, refreshing”
Dominic Squibb, Music Reviewer, UK
This touched my spirit. This should take off if it gets the airplay it should”
Dennis Payne, Hot
FM & Station Manager of Sonraysia Gospel Radio, Australia
“10/10 Excellent vocals enhanced by great backing. Love it!”
Pastor Keith Brown, Hiscoming Ministries, worldwide
Almost eerie delivery / Simon & Garfunkel? Beautiful vocals. Simple and effective
Steve Bridges, Radio Cherwell, UK
“Nice praise and worship”
Carol Allen, RTR94.9FM, Australia
“Like this, very good record”
Barry Dixon, Journalist, UK
So involving acoustic atmosphere”
Scazzola Giovanni Pietro, Radio Gold Network syndicated to 65 stations across Italy
“Good roots feels”
David Simpson, Calvary Media, Scotland
“Really like what this trio are doing”
Geoff Howlett, BBC Radio Humberside, UK
The following radio stations have indicated that they will give this track airplay:
New Christian Music Radio Show is syndicated to 180-plus radio stations (2 hours per week):
CMRPlus Radio, UK
www.cmrplusradio.com UK
Cmrplus radio, Sky 0163 UK
Radio Hot FM 106.7, Mildura, Australia
Radio Christ FM UK
Youth Alive Radio UK
Terra Radio, Trinidad
Radio Buena Noticia, Spain
D Grooves Radio.com Smyrna, Georgia, USA
Radio SON FM 88 Australia,
Internet Country Show, Worldwide
Radio Buena Noticia, Spain
Revival Time Radio RTR 94.9FM, Australia
Radio Buena Noticia, Spain
ILR Television & Radio Network(approx.143 radio stations including stations in:-)
Brazil,
Spain,
Florida USA
North Dakota, USA,
Idaho USA
Texas USA
Memphis, TN USA,
Baton Rouge, USA
Van Nuys CA USA,
Los Angeles CA, USA
Chattanooga Tennessee USA,
San Francisco Bay USA
Wakefield, Michigan USA
Paso Robles & San Luis Obispo USA,
Harlan Kentucky USA
Los Angeles, California USA,
London UK
Manchester, UK,
Newfoundland, Canada
London, Canada,
Labrador, Canada
Ontario, Canada,
Christchurch NZ,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Zandvoort, Holland
Nhulunbuy East Arnhem, Holland
Singapore
Kampala Uganda
Canary Islands
Dublin, Ireland
Zamboanga City, Philippines
Kiel, Germany
Yaoundé, France
Just Country Radio Fm Network NZ (approx 22 stations):-
Radio Rangiora 88.7 fm NZ,
Radio Oxford 88.7 fm NZ
Radio Christchurch 106.7 & 88.7 fm NZ
Radio Ashburton Saddle Pals Radio) 88.7 fm NZ
Radio Geraldine 106.7 fm NZ,
RadioTimaru 88.7 & 106.7 fm NZ
Radio Waimate 106.7 fm NZ,
Radio Oamaru 88.7 fm NZ
Radio Darfield 88.7 fm NZ, Radio Oxford 88.7 fm NZ
(Soon the NCM Radio Show will be broadcasting worldwide on Good News Broadcasting Network (part of Back to the
Bible International) GNB is reaching out in 25 languages to 20 Million daily listeners with Studios on more than a dozen countries)
BBC Radio Essex, UK
Country Roads, Australia
BBC Radio Humberside, UK
Radio Peelgrass, Holland
Radio Stafford, UK
BBC Radio Shetland, Scotland
Radio Poplar, UK
City Sound, UK
Radio Nightingale, UK
96.3FM 2ccc, Australia
Radio FM98.5, Australia
Hiscoming Ministries, worldwide
March 2006 The track 'Hung on High' is at number 8 in the NCM Charts. This track can be downloaded
for free just click here;-
April 2006 - The track 'Hung On High' is number 4 in the NCM Charts.
Anam Caras are hoping to play in Bulgaria before the year is out to support a project for
children and young people - more news about this to come.
Anam Caras played at Studley Castle 13th May 2006.
June 10th 2006; Anam Caras play at 'The Park', Knowle, Bristol.
Review of Bristol Concert
Anam Caras in Knowle West
We were privileged to experience the music of Anam Caras in contrasting settings -
a public performance on stage in an auditorium and in the intimacy of a celebration of the eucharist. For me, both
occasions were inspiring and deeply moving.
Most of Anam Caras' repertoire at present is based on Ray Simpson's Celtic prayer
book Prayer Rhythms and is a rich source of personal meditation and a clear and simple way into prayer
and worship. However, the group also provided us with little tasters of things to come such as the
song 'Voice in the Wilderness' a form of lament and haunting shared confession, in Dylan style. The group is
very clear that spiritualities that
do not take up the social and ecological content of life and which do not put people in touch with the fragmentation going
on in society and in nature run the risk of evasion and compromise.
The music is calming and evocative carrying a deep sense of the beauty of nature and of
God's immanence in all things. The listener is gently drawn into an experience of the stillness of 'thin places'
like Lindisfarne. It is wonderfully life affirming and the narrative between the songs is a further vehicle for
theological reflection and a sampling of the richness of Celtic spirituality. One member of the audience said he was particularly struck by Terry Braithwaite's comment that 'God doesn't
want us to come to him grovelling.'
The music and lyrics are a world away from the fluff and candy-coated detachment
and dualism of much contemporary Christian music. God is to be found in the everyday and ordinary.
The Scottish philosopher, David Hume, rejected the theology served up to him because
it did not relate to all that he experienced through his senses. Anam Caras provides a spirituality connected
with the natural world and everyday sensual experience. It avoids distorted images of God because it emerges from direct
experience.
Can Christianity renew itself? Can it turn the tables on the modern world – even on itself? Can it offer to a spiritless age,
when the Spirit seems to have flown its nest, a new spirit? These questions press in on us.
Contemplation, the gift of seeing through illusion, is the first urgent call if we are
to respond to the movement of the Spirit in our times.
Prayer springs authentically from a
stance of humble presence to reality. Time spent in an attitude of
total mindfulness and surrender opens the way to deep insights into the meaning of solidarity with broken humanity and
with the Earth – it is the greatest antidote to individualism, prejudice, racism and environmental vandalism.
Anam Caras are making a significant contribution through their music and are a welcome addition to those groups
and individuals working in this field. I look forward to their future work.
Alister Palmer
Knowle West, Bristol, June 2006
June 11th 2006: Anam Caras play at St Barnabas Church, Knowle, Bristol.
June 9th 2006 - Anam Caras at number nine in the NCM Euro Chart -
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NCM Euro Chart
w/e 9th June 2006
1. Karen Taylor-Good – On Angel’s Wings
2. Needtobreathe – Shine On
3. Hawk Nelson – Everything You Ever Wanted
4. Billy Ray Cyrus – Love Has No Walls
5. Isaacs – Heroes
6. Clint Miller & Del McCoury – I’ll Fly Away
7. Donny Richmond & The Jordanaires – He Did It Because
8. June Carter Cash – Hold Fast To The Right
9. Anam Caras – Rejoice
10. Joe Raynes & Steve Rayburn – Home Is Where My Heart Is
11. Ayiesha Woods – Big Enough
12. Bill Drake – If God
13. Jessy Dixon – I Wish I Could Have Been There
14. Mitchell John – Faith Ain’t Faith
15. Billy Chernoff – Jesus Is
16. Michael Harcus – One Day I’ll Know
17. Donnie Sumner – On My Journey Home
18. Wear That Shoe – Evangeline
19. George Hamilton IV & V – Life’s Railway To Heaven
20. Captain’s Crew – Why Am I So Low |
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June 17th 200 Anam Caras play at Redhill Christian Centre for the Annual Gathering of the Community
of Aidan and Hilda.
20th August 2006 - Anam Caras play for the 'Arms of Grace' International Church in
Solihull. Great fusion of Anam Caras music and African melodies and rhythms. Thank you to the 'Arms of Grace' church for a
blessed and beautiful time. Please do a concert with us in the future! (See the photo) The following was received from the
church -
"Thank you so much for coming over to Barston on Saturday. We all throughly appreciated your
music and your misnistry to us. The people were very responsive as, no doubt, you saw and heard. Your ministry strongly and
warmly invited the Holy spirit to be among us and for us to welcome and receive Him. Your contribution was significant; powerful"
A New Anam Caras song in the NCM charts
'Abba, I Belong to You', a new song for the next album is currently in the NCM Charts at number
nine among such luminaries as Johnny Cash and Randy Travitts.
30th September 2006 - Anam Caras perform at Holy Trinity Church in Willenhall.
28th October 2006 - Anam Caras perform for a Celtic Community in Billingborough, Lincolnshire.
- what a wonderful time we had in Billingborough. The audience on Saturday evening was just
so warm and wonderful and we were made to feel very welcome. Thank you to Alison and Suzanne for their warm hospitality and
for initially inviting us to play. We are sorry about the 'biscuit joke' (special apologies to Nan!). Thank you to Anna for
letting us play at the 'Tin Tabernacle' on Sunday morning - what a lovely building that is. Thanks to Nan and her husband
for showing us Sempringham. We have been really blessed by everyone we met.
A Review of the Concert in Billingborough
St. Andrews Church, Billingborough 28th October 2006
The ‘nuns’ – created
by Mark, Janet and Anne - were out in force to welcome Anam Caras to Billingborough. Those that attended were truly blessed. The gathering was treated to a music delight.
Sometimes we sang along with Anam Caras and tapped our feet to some of the tunes and to other songs we listened hard
and dwelt long on the words so beautifully delivered to our ears.
It did not take long before friend and stranger were joined together in a common experience of simple amazement
– This in Billingborough. The music that the group were producing for our own personal enjoyment - live - was making
everyone smile. With the warm glow of delight spreading over the faces
of those present – nobody there present seemed to escape this experience of pure enjoyment. Yet those that did not attend
simply will never know.
Yes, to think, people travelled to Billingborough to tell us of their own experiences of life while living out
their Christian faith. We who attended were truly blessed by this gathering together and are still singing those catchy songs. Did you miss it? Sad that.
Sunday morning and Anam Caras attended Christchurch Pointon and once again we were treated to the delights their
presence afforded us. Singing together encouraged everyone to sing. It was sad to say our goodbyes to this special group of people that make up what is Anam Caras –
Soul Friend. The weekend visitors enabled us to share in the gift of joy. Through their music they shared their lives, the Christian story, and why a lion with
a biscuit can get lonely in a supermarket.
