Festival Of Homiletics 2009

Off to Atlanta for the Festival of Homiletics! I was in the midst of some really devastatingly loud low roaring in my left ear as we drove to Atlanta. I just had to keep telling myself that even if it sounded like a train was going through my head I was going to be there to sing before Bishop Tutu spoke! And just like a dream, about an hour before I had to sing my ears cleared up. Tutu was amazing as usual and I was just so deeply happy to be there. I kind of used that upcoming performance as something to set my sights on and look forward to. It inspired me to keep moving through those first weeks of recovery...and then to be there...wow!We had a great writers in-the-round-with-theologians show one night. It was fantastic. Darrell Scott, Adrienne Young and myself each played a song and then had comments from these wonderful theologians. It was so interesting...although they all complained that it's so challenging to theologically take a song apart in the wake of it's being performed. But I thought it was an incredible way to deeply explore the feeling in the songs from a spiritual aspect.

2009 Celebration of The Arts

*Top Photo Left to Right : Mabry Miller, Hugh Williams, Al Sella, BNC, Ward Swingle, and Dot Moore *

On May 13th I was honored to be the recipient of the "Distinguished Artist Award" at the "Celebration of the Arts", a black-tie event hosted by the Alabama State Council on the Arts at the Montgomery Arts Centre.

Ward Swingle, who received the "Govenor's Award", founded the "Swingle Singers" in the 1960's introducing the world to a new musical style of a capella performance which bears his name. Each of these award winners had an amazing story. I was so thrilled to be counted among them! And I was especially grateful that I was able to attend. Although I wasn't allowed to stay up and party afterward. I had to go straight to bed! But at least I got to be there.

Among the surprises was my dear friend Rodney Crowell who came to sing "Sand & Water" at the presentation. His version of it was so touching...as it was Rodney who was the first person who ever heard that song and who subsequently produced the record "Sand & Water".

It meant so much to me to see him waltz out on stage...my face hurt from smiling so hard!
And then that was followed with my son Ernest singing his version of "Say Goodnight Not Goodbye". That just did me in....you can see how miserable I look here!!:)

WOW. That Was Some Spring.

I'm happy to say that I've made a full recovery and it's an enormous relief to be on this side of the last two months!

Over the past weeks as I healed through my brain surgery, I was having all sorts of challenging hearing difficulties that have now miraculously lifted. There's no guarantee that it won't resume, but for the moment I've been able to get back to mixing my next record and finish songs that have been lined up for miles!
I guess out of all the concerns going into surgery, my greatest was that I would not recover the ability to write lyrics. However in fact, one of the first thoughts I had upon awakening in the ICU was this last line of a song that I'd been trying to finish... winding through the haze of anesthesia! So that went a long way towards reassuring me. That, along with having a great Doctor!

I also noticed a big improvement in the level of my ADD. Now it's like a program on the desktop of my brain that I can use or not, as opposed to something that is running all the time. My thinking is that there's just a lot more room between my ears now. It's kind of like cleaning out the silverware drawer so you can see what you've got in there!

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I just want to say a note of thanks to so many friends out there who've emailed and called throughout my recovery. I appreciate everyone thinking of me and sending prayers. My fans in the UK have told me that Aled Jones and Terry Wogan have both sent get well wishes...and I just wanted to send my message back that it worked!

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Xoxoxo BNC