Rolinson, Christopher Philip

Composer

b Walsall, Staffs (now W Midlands) 1958. Queen Mary Grammar Sch, Walsall, where he began serious composing in 1974; Univ of Birmingham (BMus 1979, Cert Ed). He worked with British Youth for Christ, 1979–83, and Scripture Union, 1985–89. Between 1984 and 1999 he taught in various W Midlands primary and secondary schools in the W Midlands as a piano, keyboard and guitar player and teacher; in the 1980s he was also Music Director with Spring Harvest, working with Sheila Walsh and Graham Kendrick. From 1999 to 2003 he worked as a radio broadcaster and since then as a transport manager, while continuing to teach (and compose for) piano and guitar. His tours as a professional musician included one with (Sir) Cliff Richard in the 1980s; in travelling to many countries he is equally at home with classical and pop music, and has also served with charities for disadvantaged young people. He has contributed to several hymn books including Jubilate publications, Spring Harvest collections (1980s and 90s) and Songs of Fellowship, as songwriter and editor; recently to RC renewal songs with Joanne Boyce and Mike Stanley. More than 50 of his songs have been recorded, many in his own albums, and are often broadcast; he shared in the preparation of Songs from the Psalms (1990) and has several texts and tunes in Let’s Praise 2 (1994) and Sing Glory (1999, 12 tunes) and 2 in the 1997 edn of MP. He is an associate of Jubilate Hymns and lives in a small village nr Solihull, W Midlands No.694.