This May I’m pleased to return to England for a tour of the northern part of the country.  I’ve been invited to play 6 dates at churches throughout the region.  Andy Othling will accompany me, and we will be joined there by our friend and drummer Steven “Smack” McMurray.  In addition, my wife, pastors and friends from New Life City will be on the trip.  We’re very excited for the chance to minister the new songs (and the old, of course) to the saints over there.  We will conclude our time there by ministering at Charis Church International with our dear friend Barry Manson.

I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to Pastor Dave Mansfield of Haven Church in Stapleford for working so hard on my behalf to set this tour up.  His efforts have been tireless, and I hope you join me praying for blessing over him, and for a fruitful time of ministry and worship with our friends in the UK.

Dates and venues:

5/6/11 – Lifespring Church, Ollerton

5/7/11 – Haven Church, Stapleford

5/8/11 – Sherwood Forest CC, Blidworth

5/10/11 – LCF, Louth

5/11/11 – LCC, Lytham St. Anne’s

5/14/11 – Charis Church International, Sheffield

Additional information available at www.havenchurch.org.uk

Most of the songs on the album were written since the release of Beyond the Veil, but several songs appeared on early demo recordings (done with the assistance of dear friends Rocky Green and Zach & Joni Nichols) and made a comeback due to the insistence of my wife Becky, my mother, and friends and supporters of my music from way back. I’m glad I listened to them and I’m very pleased with how those songs turned out.

Many folks are curious about the album title, which is the name of the tune Psalm 56 is set to (check your Bibles). It also resonates in Psalm 55:6-8 and speaks of finding shelter in the Lord during times of tempest and storm. The Lord’s shelter was strong for me and many others within the last two years as we grieved the loss of Rocky Green. Rocky’s importance in my life as a friend, brother, co-laborer of the Gospel, fellow musician, supporter, encourager, and source of inspiration cannot be overstated.

I pray that the lyrics on “Walk Again With God,” “Calling All Saints,” and “Made Right” remind you of who you are in Jesus. I want “Let Me Hide,” “A Dove On Distant Oaks,” “As I Lay Me Down,” and “Tears In A Bottle” to give you assurance of God’s faithfulness. I want “I Sing of Home,” “Peace Be Still,” and “Crown” to inspire you to move ahead in the mission Jesus has called you to, to preach the Gospel and advance the Kingdom of God. My desire with “Arms of Jesus (Rocky’s Song)” is simply to pay tribute to my friend and honor a life lived to the glory of the Lord.

Thank you for listening to my music and supporting this ministry. I’d love to hear how it blesses you. You can comment on this article or send an email to chuck@chuckelmore.com. Blessings of grace and peace to you through Jesus.

Admission to the concert is $5. Children 12 and under are free. Each guest paying the $5 admission price will receive a free copy of A Dove On Distant Oaks.

I had a wonderful time on this project, working again with producer Donn Halliburton. I also got some of the band engaged in a deeper level to the project. Lead guitar player Andy Othling co-produced two songs and played on much of the album, and rhythm guitar player and singer Stephen Dumas contributed his smoky vocals to three songs, as well as his acoustic lead guitar playing to another track. Another buddy of mine named Dee Brown added his keyboard skills to a couple of songs, and his soulful voice is featured prominently in a song we collaborated on called “Tears in a Bottle.”

One of the highlights of working on this album was having Tom and Sherry Green join me on a song I wrote for their son Rocky. Many of you know Rocky was a dear friend of mine for 15 years who went to the arms of Jesus in February of 2009 after a battle with a brain tumor. Tom and Sherry graced my song with their beautiful musical abilities. When you hear Tom’s lead guitar on the track, you hear the source from which Rocky’s guitar playing was greatly influenced. Sherry’s vocals sound like a chorus of angels, as usual.

In the final days of mixing and mastering in the studio, I had tunnel vision on shaping this project into a great-sounding album, but I was reminded by a friend who listened to an early copy that the lyrics were written to bless and minister to people. It is my continued prayer that A Dove On Distant Oaks will do just that for you.

Listen here, download below.

Here is an offering of firstfruits from a new batch of songs.  This is an acoustic demo (a bit rough around the edges) and not the finished version, though I think it captures the essence of the song well.  I plan to record this again in the studio with Donn Halliburton (producer of Beyond the Veil), as we are now working on my new album.

I wrote “Crown” on New Year’s Day.  I wanted to sing words of blessing over the listener.  As the songwriting progressed, a lyrical path emerged that went from pain to surrender to salvation to growth and came full circle to ministering to those in pain.  I pray it blesses you.

Thanks to my wife Becky for lyrical help, and thanks to bandmates Andy Othling and Stephen Dumas for helping me record this.  The lyrics are included below.

“Crown”
words and music by Chuck Elmore. Copyright 2010.

May the snares that you’ve stepped in fall open, may the wounds there not leave any scars
The affection that you’ve long been chasing, may you realize it’s already yours

May you not offer sweat for redemption, may you instead accept divine blood
May the stones that are thrown turn to water and bury you under the flood

You may go down with covering in tatters, you may go down abused and forlorn
You will rise as a child of your father, you will rise up renewed and reborn

May the lies you have bought start to crumble, may regret and remorse disappear
Let the fear and the hopelessness tremble and your light cause the darkness to clear

May you run to the souls who once shunned you, to the captives in chains deep inside
May you show them the locks have been broken, may you open their prison doors wide

You will proclaim the news of His favor, you will carry a name of renown
May your hands raise up those who are downcast and your head bear the weight of a crown

May your head bear the weight of a crown, you’re the King’s child, put on your crown

Chuck Elmore – vocals and guitar
Stephen Dumas – guitar solo
Mixed and engineered by Andy Othling

Download “Crown” for free HERE.

]]> http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/free-download-crown-a-new-demo-from-chuck-elmore/feed/ 9 http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/creative-excellence-in-visual-arts/ http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/creative-excellence-in-visual-arts/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:13:05 +0000 kenny http://chuckelmore.com/?p=146 I wanted to take a moment to brag on my good friend, Kenny Barela. I’ve known Kenny for close to 7 years, first as a seeker of God and a good friend, second as an amazing visual artist. Kenny and his wife Rebekah have worked side by side to make their advertising and design company, Sum Agency, a success. They have worked with numerous high-profile clients on both a local and global basis, and their work is excellent.

You know Kenny’s work from my website. He’s the designer and webmaster. If you’ve sported one of my t-shirts, you’ve worn Kenny’s work. He was recently commissioned by internationally-known Christian musician Misty Edwards to do the album art for her latest two projects. I’m very excited to say Kenny will be doing the artwork for my next album, which I start recording this month.

Kenny and Rebekah also have a side venture called Locolygrown, which humorously captures the vibe and culture of New Mexico on great-looking t-shirts and other apparel. Be sure to check it out!

Working with Kenny has been a real pleasure, not just because of the high caliber of his work, but because he values the things of God. I pray that Kenny is blessed as much as he has blessed me and others.

]]> http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/creative-excellence-in-visual-arts/feed/ 0 http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/soaring-on-new-wings/ http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/soaring-on-new-wings/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:06:04 +0000 kenny http://chuckelmore.com/?p=141 Christmastime, 2009. My family decided to host the members of my band for a Christmas party…some egg nog, some finger foods, a modest gift exchange. I surprised each of them with a gourd shaker that I had hand-crafted, painted, and filled with mustard seed. My wife Becky and the band surprised me with a Gretsch White Falcon.

Now, I don’t assume that those of you reading this are “gearheads” like the guys in my band, but this instrument has been called the Cadillac of electric guitars. It has been my dream for many years to own a Gretsch, and while I was dreaming, why not dream for the White Falcon? I wrote down this dream on a list of twenty things I would love to do regarding music and ministry, then I forgot about it. My wife found the list, conspired with my guitar player Andy Othling who got the rest of the guys involved, and the dream was realized, about 20 years before I thought it would be!

I don’t mean to gush about it, but this IS significant. This is an extravagant gift. This is a guitar you work up to. This is a guitar played by Chet Atkins, George Harrison, The Edge, Bono, and a whole host of distinguished musical dignitaries (technically, Bono plays his own signature model, an emerald green version called the Irish Falcon, but I digress). You earn your stripes before you play this guitar. I honestly felt unworthy of it when I opened the case and first saw it. In sharing testimony about this gift, Becky talked about how the Lord kept putting a guitar on her mind for a gift to me this year. She found my dream list, asked Andy about it, and worried about the price tag. But Andy offered to help and get the band involved, and Becky took the leap of faith. It was only after the guitar was purchased that a check came in the mail from an unexpected source wanting to bless me and the music ministry (thanks, Evonne), and that was final confirmation to Becky that the Lord was giving me permission to dream big (thanks, Jesus).

I am slowly getting over my compulsion to “earn it.” Becky helps me with this. Whenever I ramble on about musical heroes, she just says, “They’re men, just like you.” Thanks, babe. And thanks Andy, Matt, Chuck, and Stephen.

So I’m learning to fly, and I do have wings. It is my prayer that the songs that come from this gift will lift you up, too.

]]> http://chuckelmore.com/2010/01/soaring-on-new-wings/feed/ 1 http://chuckelmore.com/2009/12/a-gift-for-you/ http://chuckelmore.com/2009/12/a-gift-for-you/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:15:59 +0000 kenny http://chuckelmore.com/wordpress/?p=68

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Listen here, download below.

This year has been an amazing and fulfilling time in my life. February saw the release of Beyond the Veil, and I continue to be blessed by positive feedback and the testimonial words of how this music has ministered to people. I have also had a great time playing concerts with the band (Matt, Chuck, Andy and Stephen), and the fan support at those shows has been tremendous. I have also been blessed by the support and airplay of Albuquerque’s KDAZ 730AM (thanks Birga and Jim) and KNKT 107.1FM (thanks Steve, Peter, and Chip). In the wake of all this, I have been writing new songs for the next project, and I’m excited to get back into the studio by the turn of the new year.

To express my gratitude to all of you and my gratitude to Jesus for his generosity and grace, I’d like to give you a song. I wrote “Do You Have Room” several years ago, inspired by a sermon my dad wrote and preached called “When God Was A Little Boy.” I was taken by the title, as it brought a fresh perspective to the wonder of the incarnation. I knew I had to write a song to express it. It is my only Christmas song at this time, but I have such a love for the music of this season that I plan on writing more somewhere down the road. Just follow the instructions on the screen to download it. I pray this song blesses and encourages you. Merry Christmas!

Download “Do you have room” for free HERE.

If you’d like to make a $1.99 donation for the song that will go directly to the Youth at New Life City toward their upcoming mission trip to Brazil, you can do so by clicking on the “Donate” button below.

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