Rick Wakeman to open CRE Midlands 23

Legendary rock star Rick Wakeman will open the Christian Resources Exhibition at Cranmore Park in Solihull, near Birmingham (10am, Wed 8 Nov).

Wakeman, famous for his piano arrangement of the Eleanor Farjeon hymn ‘Morning Has Broken’, was baptised at South Harrow Baptist Church. He then became a Sunday School teacher before attending the Royal College of Music in the 1960s, where he studied piano, modern music, clarinet and orchestration.

He was a member of top bands the Strawbs and YES before recording his own progressive rock solo albums The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. He has also played on more than 2,000 different tracks by artistes as diverse as Black Sabbath, Cat Stevens (Morning Has Broken), Mary Hopkins, Cilla Black, Elton John, Edison Lighthouse, David Bowie (Life on Mars), Lou Reed, Dana, Des O’Connor, Al Stewart, Ralph McTell and Harry Nilsson. He has also gained notoriety for appearances on various TV programmes including Grumpy Old Men.

Awarded a CBE for services to music and broadcasting in 2021, Wakeman will be interviewed at CRE Midlands by Peter Wooding, son of Dan Wooding, a Christian journalist, author and close friend of Wakeman’s from the late 1960s until his death in March 2020. Wooding wrote a biography of his friend in the 1970s under the title Rick Wakeman: The Caped Crusader.

‘I have many stories about the great man,’ said Wakeman, ‘and some of them I can tell, too! I look forward to playing “Gone, But Not Forgotten” at CRE Midlands – in memory of my dear friend.’

Often dubbed ‘the ideal church show’ CRE Midlands 23 will feature more than 160 exhibitors offering products and services for churches, ranging from contactless card machines to customised keyboards for worship. Mission on the Map will bring together a dozen missions working nationally and internationally. Some 50 talks will feature experts offering advice in various aspects of church life, from fund raising to faith sharing.

• CRE Midlands 23 at Cranmore Park, Solihull opening hours: Wed 8 Nov, 10am-5pm; Thu 9 Nov, 10am-4.30pm. Advance tickets available from £3 (£8 on the door). Visit www.creonline.co.uk for more information.

Pictures © Lee Wilkinson 2017