April 19th-Austin Texas: Beth and Rodney Crowell perform for the "Healthy Child Healthy World" benefit.

April 19th, Austin Texas, "Healthy

Child Healthy World" hosts an early evening Cocktail reception and Benefit concert at 502 Riley Rd., Austin Tx. 98746. Grammy winning artist Rodney Crowell will be featured, along with artist Beth Nielsen Chapman.





Beth is on the Board Of Directors of "Healthy Child". Check out their amazing "website.

Barnes and Noble Loves Prism!

PRISM: THE HUMAN FAMILY SONGBOOK
Beth Neilsen Chapman
BNC Records

Inspired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu's concept of a common humanity, Beth Neilsen Chapman continues a spiritual journey that began even before her celebrated 2004 collection of Catholic hymns, Hymns, with the moving meditations on life and death she penned in the wake of her husband's passing and unveiled on her powerful 1997 CD, Sand and Water. Exploring the universal spiritual light infusing diverse religions, Chapman here presents two discs of music. Disc 1 is comprised of original and traditional songs that examine the common ground shared by all faiths, sometimes within the same song (the propulsive, percussive "The Mystery"); each in its own way demonstrates as well a common humanity informing the different styles of music on this disc--pop-country on "God Is In (Goddess In)," hip-hop on "My Religion," a stately, stirring reading of the Protestant hymn "For the Beauty," and so forth, all rendered seamlessly, with conviction as profoundly deep as it is lovingly understated. Disc 2 takes the same tack, but with a critical difference: the yearnings expressed are similar to those on Disc 1, but on Disc 2 Chapman goes global, singing songs centered on the spiritual quest in nine different languages, including English (the stark, a cappella rendering of "The Flame"), Zulu, Welsh (her voice an ethereal near-whisper in a tender old Gaelic hymn, "Durrow"), Farsi, and others. She concludes her ambitious journey with a solemn "Navajo Chant" to summon the Great Spirit, as Bobby Klein adds a rumbling, commanding baritone vocal, accompanied only by John Ragusa's airy flute lines carrying these souls' humble appeal aloft, as if on an eagle's wings, born ceaselessy to a place where there'll be no distinction, but rather an embrace of all as one. Remarkable and challenging, Prism is the stuff of life, and Beth Neilsen Chapman's finest hour. -David McGee

Hello World

Hello world! I’m writing this from Harlech, Wales. I’ve been hanging here for a few days working on the BNC Big Book of Songs. I’m hoping to have a fairly comprehensive songbook completed soon with the help of Maartin Allcock. I’ve had to wait until Maart finished Richard Thompson’s songbook, which is not thin!

Prior to Wales I spent four days in Belfast with some of my best friends in the world. “Kieran Goss & Friends” was being filmed at the Belfast Opera House and allowed me the opportunity to perform with my buddies for three sold out nights!

L to R: Kimmie Rhodes, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Bernie Kelly, Rodney Crowell, Kieran Goss, me and Brendan Murphy.


Me with Kimmie, Rodney and Bernie.

So after all that fun I made my way to Wales, land of the incredible sunsets. This one was taken by Maart. It’s just about in his backyard. The front yard is leaping with baby lambs.

Yesterday we went to Porthmadog, the nearby town from which came all the slate “to roof the world”. In the nearby Glaslyn valley live the only nesting pair of Ospreys in the whole of Wales!

Here I am looking at the telescope. But the Osprey couple isn’t due back until next week. I’ll just miss them!

Next week I’ll be heading to the Royal Albert Hall to perform with Kris Kristofferson. Can’t wait for that! Rodney Crowell, Brendan Murphy and I went to hear Kris last week at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Just Kris and his guitar. We were just blown away with his performance. Song after song. And those songs. Wow.

Oh, and before we leave Wales, let’s not forget about one of the prize cooking ingredients of roast potatoes, Goose Fat! (a French idea apparently), and in the upper left hand corner shelf we also have Lavabread which is Welsh seaweed. Part of a traditional Welsh breakfast!

Ok, besides that, I’ll be heading back to Austin, Texas to perform at an event for “Healthy Child, Healthy World” on April 19th. It will be held at a wonderful newly finished “green” home. Rodney Crowell will be performing as well. Check out this amazing organization.

I’m very proud to serve on its Board Of Directors. Having come through breast cancer I became extremely interested in what toxic stuff is all around us in this day and age. The HCHW website is chock-full of great information to help protect families from dangerous chemicals in the environment, many of which are considered “safe”.

And last but not least! Don’t forget about the upcoming Creativity Stargaze!

Sign up for the Stargaze HERE!