A setting of the Salvation Army's Junior Soldier's Promise by Diane Berry published as a singing company song in 1988.

This is my multi-layered vocal version with added euphonium - take from my forthcoming CD 'Back in the Singing Company' and released today to mark the enrolment of my daughter Emily as a Junior Soldier

Back in the Singing Company

My Promise

Back in the days when I was younger and less worried about offending (yeah...as if!!) I was invited to sing for and entertain a group of rich people at an 'elite' Christmas event. What they wanted was Jingly Rudolph Sparkle...what I wrote especially for them was this!
How the 'other' half live at Christmas - the struggling mum who can't afford to fill her child's stocking - the old man dying in a freezing room while the rest gorge on turkey, chestnuts and figgy pudding...
It's a song I now have mixed feelings about...yes - it's a little 'over the top' but it still seems to work well and 'strike a chord'.
Musically, there are some early influences on show - a Pink Floyd chord sequence gets 'borrowed' and my vocals sound rather John Wetton/Greg Lake at times...

X - Mas

Not finished at all!
Just wanted to upload to see what people think. 
feel free to comment!!

*Also, guitar WILL be replaced with live guitar.... Im still only in the process of finishing the song right now before I fiddle too much :)*



Rock Instrumental DEMO.

He Leadeth Me?

Grimethorpe Colliery Band-Conducted by Allan Withington
Live at the Royal Albert Hall-London
2007
Composed by Phillip Sparke

Music For Battle Creek

One Sunday afternoon, stranded at church between services, I was challenged by my young son to 'write a song'.  As I had no lyrics with me (and neither did I have the inspiration for new lyrics) he suggested that I use a song from The Salvation Army Song Book as my 'inspiration' and he chose a random set of words for me to set to new music.

The song he chose was one with which I was familiar, though hadn't heard sung or played for many years.  The writer was unusual for the age of the song as she was...female - and there weren't many of those known to me (at that time!) amongst early SA composers.

Agnes McDouall was born in Stranraer in 1862 - a hundred years before me! She bacame a Salvation Army officer but married Wyndham Heathcote and they moved to the Church of England.  She wrote several well-known SA songs including another favourite of mine 'I'll Follow Thee - of Life the Giver'.

For this setting I had to 'compress' the 4 verses of the original into two verses, updating the language a little. When recording I decided to play the 'backing vocals' using the voice of my euphonium rather than singing them. It has proved a very popular item in my 'one-man' show that I take all around the country.

Simply Marc (1st mixes)

Jesus Came With Peace To Me

I am a musician, composer and former music teacher born in Wales but now living in the beautiful City of Lincoln in England with my wife, Sarah, our two beautiful daughters and my youngest son, Ieuan.

Although these days most people see/hear me as a pianist/keyboardist/singer I am primarily a euphonium player and have played solos all around the UK, Europe and in the USA since the age of 12. I was the principal euphonium with Championship Section Woodfalls Band throughout 2012 and, prior to this, I was solo euphonium with Portsmouth Citadel Salvation Army Band from 1986 until 2010.  I feature as soloist on their CDs 'Victory' and 'Journey Through Time'. I have also featured as soloist with SA 'composite' band 'Fuoco' ( http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/concerts/con202.asp?l=in ).  I was also vocal soloist and, later, pianist for the acclaimed Portsmouth Citadel Songsters, singing solos on 3 CDs, playing keyboards on 5, euphonium on 2 and was the main pianist on the most recent CD 'Take My Life' ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=take+my+life+portsmouth ).  I am Bandmaster of the Lincoln Corps in The Salvation Army and travel around the country with my 'One man Variety' show that includes singing, piano, euphonium solos and comedy.

I was lead guitar and a songwriter for 'Blood & Fire', one of the leading Christian Rock Bands in the 1980s, and later singer/guitarist with 'Cross Purposes' and singer with 'The Big Picture'.  I have written 313 songs (to June 2020) including 4 full-length musicals.  One of these, 'Gethsemane' was successfully revived recently and it is hoped a CD and tour will follow in the coming years.

A solo CD of Christmas songs 'My Christmas Wish' was released in 2001 and recordings are now ongoing (June 2020) for a 2nd CD of original songs  which will be released on completion and also a 2nd CD of songs I sang in the Singing Company (Junior Choir) as a child - updated and rearranged.

My Promise

Marc Harry

Related tracks