When we were living in Reading UK, a group of musicians joined us to record 5 original worship songs under the title ‘First Fruits’.
Tali and I wanted to capture a simple sound and develop acoustic arrangements for the songs. The recordings were done over three days in the cedar room of the ARCADE building (where we lived) and at the neighbour’s house where we could use their piano (thanks Roger and Sue). But being naive and idealistic, we did bite off more than we could chew. So after a fun weekend, with lots of beautiful sounds recorded, we weren’t able to pull it all together into a form we were happy with and we decided to put it on the shelf.
One of the most enjoyable aspects was getting different friends together. For example, we met Harry at an open mic night that we used to visit in Reading. Jessica is the wife of a good friend and colleague who happens to be a concert violist. Most of the others we knew through the Reading Christian Network (RCN).
Fast forward to 2018 in Amsterdam and those original recordings got dusted off and shared with a friend and music producer Rene Dufry and he was willing to help get them finished. So with the support of friends and family this ‘First Fruits’ of thanksgiving and devotion to our gracious and merciful Father has become a reality!
Eric and Talitha Rutgrink