Premier managed to meet up with Tim Hughes at Spring Harvest (Skegness)
Early Week and ask him about himself and his new album When Silence Falls.

Side A
artist profile   • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• Age: 26

• Place of Birth: High Wycombe

• What instruments do you play? guitar

•Hobbies: football, listening to music, watching films

• Latest secular album you have bought: Maroon 5’s latest album, Songs about Jane and Aqualung, Still Life

• What did you want to do when you were younger?
Be a professional footballer but then I also knew that I wanted to do church work

• Describe yourself in three words: laid-back, content and passionate

Side B
album   career   faith   • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• Why is your new album called When Silence Falls?
The line ‘When Silence Falls’ is taken from the song, When the tears fall. It’s a song of lament. I’ve been thinking a lot about the link between worship and lament. In the church we rarely seem to sing songs that talk about praising God when life around is really hard. However the Psalms are full of lament. Some of the poetry David writes is pretty bleak, ‘My bones suffer mortal agony. Why are you so downcast, O my soul.’ (Ps 42) However, in this place of pain and confusion David cries out, ‘I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God’. To me that’s an amazing step of faith. It’s easy to worship when everything around us is going wonderfully well. But how about when life is really tough? When silence falls, what will you do? Will you worship? That’s one aspect the title is meant to express. Another is taken from a verse in Ps 65 (The Message), which says ‘Silence is praise to You’. I love that. Sometimes just coming and standing quietly before God is praise to Him. We don’t always have to fill the air with words and sounds. There needs to be a place for silence before a holy God, who moves in mysterious ways.

• How long did it take to make?
The album was recorded in Nashville, America. We started recording in October 2003. We tracked 6 songs. We then tracked another 5 songs in March 2004. I went back out in April to finish off the vocals. All in all it’s been a lengthy process. But it’s been worth it.

• What is the song Beautiful One about?
In Isaiah 53:2, it mentions how Jesus ‘had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him’. That thought surprised me. When Jesus came and walked upon the earth there was nothing about his appearance that would have made us stop and think ‘wow’. However, for those who know Jesus, our eyes have been opened to catch a glimpse of just how beautiful and glorious He is. The song is about the beauty of Jesus and our love and adoration for Him.

• Favourite Song/s on the album?
When Tears Fall and Whole World in His Hands

• How often do you write songs?
I’m always journaling as a songwriter. Jotting down thoughts, lyrics and melodies. As I’m worshipping I’ll often feel inspired to sing out ideas. The best songs always come after divine inspiration – a fresh revelation of who God is. I’m always seeking those moments. Although I may only write perhaps 8 –10 songs a year, I’m always playing around with ideas.

• What are the different areas of your church
that you are involved in?
I oversee the worship at our church for the evening services. That involves leading regularly on a Sunday, choosing the musicians’ rota, pastoring the musicians involved and being involved with the leadership of the church. I’m also a cell group leader – which I love.

• What have you learnt from working with Martyn Layzell, Matt Redman and Graham Kendrick?
I love hanging out and working with these guys. I’ve learnt so much from each of them. They’ve stretched my thinking in terms of what worship is about, how we can respond to God through song, how we can grow in song writing. I love the Proverb that says, ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.’ We always need to be open to learn from one another.

• What influences your songs?
Scripture massively influences all my songs. The Bible is God’s word to us. If we want to know more about what He is like, what He requires of us, how we can please Him, then the Bible is the first place to look. The more Scripture we can pack into our songs the better. I’m also influenced by the world around us – creation speaks of the glory of God. The reality and pain of life also daily challenges me to be real with God and worship Him in the midst of a broken world. As songwriters we need to constantly be open to the different and varied ways that God may inspire us and speak to us.

• With working in a Christian/Church environment and being surrounded by a lot of Christians, do you get opportunities to meet with non-Christians?
To be honest this is something I really struggle with. I feel really challenged because so much of what I do is church-based that I don’t get many opportunities to hang out with people who as yet don’t know Jesus. I need to make more time and it’s something I’m really committed to.

• What was it like being in South Africa for a year?
Loved it – it was a time of real spiritual growth for me. It’s an amazing country. As a nation they’ve been through so much. So many reasons for people to hate one another and yet the nation is committed to rebuilding its broken past. I’ve never been in a country where there is so much hope for a better future, even though there is still a long way to go.

• Did you learn any South African songs?
Yes. I learnt a couple of Zulu songs – but I’d have no idea how to spell them!

• You’ve been a Christian since the age of 11- how did you become a Christian?
My Dad is a vicar, so I’ve grown up in the Church. It was at the New Wine conference in 1989 though that I really made a full commitment. My faith went from knowing about God to actually knowing Him personally. That still amazes me that we can intimately know the creator of the Universe.

• How had you found being a Christian teenager?
Being a teenager is always quite a weird time. You’re constantly learning more about yourself and finding out more about your identity. For me, going through all this knowing that I had a Father in Heaven who was for me, who was watching over me was so reassuring.
That brought a peace and security to my life. I really enjoyed my teenage years. The main thing is that it strengthens their relationship with God