Ghostwriter (Mark Brend) has recorded a version of the old hymn I Stand Amazed In The Presence.
Arranged and played by Ghostwriter, sung by Suzy Mangion, Andrew Rumsey and Michael Weston King. YouTube only:
The hymn is by the prolific gospel composer Charles H. Gabriel (1856–1932).
Mark Brend (Ghostwriter) has just released his debut novel titled Undercliff via Hornet Books.
Described as ‘a compelling mystery exploring the difficulty in telling good from evil, and natural from supernatural.’
Synopsis – It’s the summer of 1972, and 30-something divorcee Martyn returns to London after some years away. He joins the Olive Grove, a religious community, where he forms a relationship with Amelia. Over time Martyn becomes suspicious of the Olive Grove’s leaders, a pair of apparently ordinary men who can speak in perfect unison, known as the Two. A sequence of ambiguous events might indicate that the Two have malign purposes, though Martyn cannot be sure. These suspicions come to a head when Amelia breaks off with Martyn and appears to vanish. He travels to Devon, where the Olive Grove has a retreat house, in search of Amelia and the truth about the organisation. There, events take several disturbing and unexpected turns.
Mark has also been working on some new music with his pre-Ghostwriter band Fariña which should see a release later in the year on Spanish label Hanky Panky. In the meantime, check out Undercliff, 1973.
The novel can be purchased at your local bookstore or alternatively you can order from Waterstones or Amazon.
A new Ghostwriter compilation is now available as a download only.
Mistaken For A Literary Man pairs the four songs from the 2013 Chaffinch EP, Dimensions, with four previously unreleased songs from 2009-2014.
Featuring Tim Conway, Matt Gale, Jim Jupp and Adrian Ramsey.
Buy it here.
Ghostwriter releases a new album with Michael Paine in December 2014. The album is titled Morrow and is being released by Time Released Sound.
Michael Paine is a writer and musician, based in the West Country. He was the main songwriter for The Becketts, an early 90’s indie band that recorded two albums and a handful of singles for Bad Girl and Virgin records.
Ghostwriter (Mark Brend) and Michael met in a bookshop in the shadow of Exeter cathedral. Their album, Morrow, references the mid-20th century British Writer Phyllis Paul, and shares with her novels an interest in the ambiguous territory between natural and supernatural. Deploying piano, electric and acoustic guitar, flute, percussion, glockenspiel and organ with musique concrète textures and found sounds, Mark and Michael create a cryptic English pastoral noir, drawing variously on folk, evangelical hymns, jazz, Debussy and Maurice Deebank.
Morrow comes in both standard digipak and special editions. The special edition of just 80 copies will come as a hand distressed hardcover booklet, collaged with vintage photos, 1930s wallpaper samples, a mounted, hand stamped jigsaw puzzle, and a typewriter addressed, stamped CD envelope – all in a handworked, 7” square translucent envelope. Shop here.
Mabel Joy’s cult classic album Wish I Was sees a welcome return via Spanish label Hanky Panky. Originally released in 1993, the band featured Geoff Smith, Matt Gale, Tom Anthony and Mark Brend (Ghostwriter) who subsequently went onto form Farina. Shindig! says of the band ‘in a world where The Fleet Foxes and The Leisure Society have sizeable cult followings, maybe their time has come’. For more information visit Hanky Panky.