The band includes the Revd Mark Broomhead (Pioneer Minister in the North Wingfield Team Ministry), who plays bass.

Bishop Redfern's Harvest Appeal will be boosted by sales of the CD which will be launched with a concert on Wednesday 18 November (7.30pm) at St Augustine, Chesterfield.

Fire Fly have recorded the album of Christmas carols in collaboration with six of the soloists from Cantamus, the award-winning girls' choir. The album is a fusion of ancient and modern music, and will be launched at the concert.

Fire Fly are the resident rock band at Danesmoor.

Proceeds from the event and from sales of the group's Christmas CD will go to support the Appeal.

Ends

Notes for News Editors:

Review copies are available

Entrance will be £5.00, adult £3.00 child. There will be opportunity to order/buy copies of the album on the evening.

For more information see www.myspace.com/fireflygloria or contact Revd Mark Broomhead markmbroomhead@aol.com

Revd Mark Broomhead

• Ordained Pioneer Minister Clay Cross and Danesmoor, Diocese of Derby
• Ordained Deacon June 2008, Priest July 2009
• Former Occupations - Food technology teacher, Musician
• Married to Sarah, with two daughters Kiaya (13) and Eden (10)

Music Background

• Mark formed the band Detritus at aged 16. Mark (lead vocals & bass guitar) was a fan of heavy metal and a committed Christian. At the time, listening to such music was frowned upon within Christian circles due to its association with the darker side of life. However, determined that the music in itself was not "evil" and in fact an effective vehicle for a positive message, Detritus set about to share the gospel and a message of hope in this genre to a subculture shunned in general by Christendom.
• Thrash metal band Detritus signed to Edge Records, an imprint of Kingsway, who licensed them to mainstream metal label Music for Nations, who at the time also had metal giants such as Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer on their roster.
• In 1990 Detritus released their début album "Perpetual Defiance" which was an international success, reaching number 6 in Kerrang's independent metal charts.
• In 1992 Detritus released their highly acclaimed second album "If But For One". Mark also joined Seventh Angel, label mates and fellow Christian metal band for their final tour. Both groups disband later that year as members followed new careers and family commitments.
• In 1993 Mark joined Simon Bibby, his brother in law and former Seventh Angel member on a recording project, "Amaranth". With the addition of Scott James and Adam Gallagher and a number of name changes, this became Fire Fly.
• In 2008, after Metal Mind Productions' re-release of their albums, thrash/doom metal band Seventh Angel reformed with Mark on bass and released a new studio album "The Dust of Years" for American label "Bombworks" in June 2009.

Calling to the ministry

• Mark first began to explore a calling to ordained ministry when he was eighteen, but it was another eighteen years before he was ordained. Mark's calling was coupled with a strong desire to reach and minister within the "alternative" subculture and it was when the Church of England unveiled their guidelines for the introduction of Pioneer Ministry that everything fell into place.

Fire Fly

So where did it all begin? Back in the 1990's, Simon and Mark first met. Simon played bass for Seventh Angel and Mark was lead vocalist and bass guitarist for Detritus. The bands shared many a stage and a record label and soon became good friends. When both bands had run their course, Simon began a project called "Amaranth" involving his sister (soon to be Mark's wife) Sarah. Inevitably, Mark soon became involved and Scott, a friend of Simon's wife Kristy, agreed to help out with some keyboards (purely on a temporary basis).

A demo was recorded on a four track recorder with Atari programmed drums. A taste of the band life proved too much to resist, Scott's arm was twisted until he agreed to join and friend Andy Whitingham was enlisted on drums. A change of mood and a change of name followed, and Love Lies Bleeding was born. Things changed and LLB went from the drawing board to the stage, and recorded their first demo ("Mirror, Everything, Angry Again"). As things became busier, Andy decided he could not carry on due to other commitments.

A friend-of-a-friend, Adam Gallagher, took the job and brought with him ideas and personality. It was time for a new name, Autumn, which lasted for a couple of gigs then after days of searching Fire Fly was plucked from the dictionary. Around the time of Easter 1999, Fire Fly recorded their first CD "Swings and Roundabouts" (Letter to a Friend, Crowded Room, Nostalgia, Engraved, Angry Again). This recording marked a new chapter and opened a lot of doors for the band. The recording received favourable reviews and airplay across the world, and soon Fire Fly were playing across the country and as far afield as Holland and Northern Ireland.

In 2001, with the success of "Swings and Roundabouts", the band planned to record their first full-length album. But before they made it to the studio the band found themselves once again without a drummer. Terl Bryant (Iona) agreed to play on the recording and offered to put word out amongst the Psalm Drummers network to find a full-time replacement.

Within a week Ben Griffiths came with his wife Clare and a car full of drums to try out for the band. Before he knew it, Ben was in the studio as part of Fire Fly recording "Beauty for Ashes".

So that is how Fire Fly became what they are - whatever that is. Since that point Fire Fly's reputation has grown, and they have played to many ears, in all kinds of places (with varying aromas) across the world. Fire Fly released their second album "Breathe" in 2005.

So why do they bother? Well, it keeps them off the streets, and it saves them the effort of coming up with another hobby. But those who have come into contact with Fire Fly know that the music is secondary. Their faith is what is most important to them.

"This may not be a very fashionable stance, but quite frankly we couldn't give a stuff! Without Jesus we could not exist, and our relationship with him gives us strength and healing in every aspect of our lives. We are still frail human beings, and we make spectacular mistakes on a daily basis. When God moves through the stuff we do as Fire Fly it is not because of some level we have reached or some strength we possess.

"It is only because at times we stand aside and make room for Him to move despite our weakness. He makes our weakness strength, our shortcomings His opportunities. Jesus has paid the price with his blood, the great exchange, beauty for ashes. He knows everything about you and he loves you, you are beautiful and don't let anyone tell you any different! Fire Fly is an act of worship to our God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Sanctum

The Christian rock group Fire Fly, who had members attending St Bartholomew's, had for some time been involved in supporting Christian events and missions across the world. It occurred to them that it was ridiculous that they were not doing anything locally so "Embryo" was born - a multi-denominational alternative worship event hosted by different churches and run by a team of headed by Fire Fly and friends, on a bi-monthly basis.

It became clear that this event was the only contact with church that some people were having but it lacked the continuity, teaching, community and pastoral care needed to be a "real church". In response to this Sanctum was born, a weekly alternative church service based at St Bartholomew's. Meanwhile a small congregation at St Barnabas had faithfully been working towards the vision of a new building. The decision to pool the resources of both congregations led to the community-based fresh expression that is Sanctum today.

Sanctum is Church. OK so maybe there is a rock band instead of an organ, maybe there are a few freaky looking people walking around, maybe there are even a few freaky people leading, maybe the preaching is a bit different, maybe we don't have all the answers, maybe we haven't got a clue what we are doing half the time, and maybe sometimes we do...

Sanctum is about worshiping our God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Journeying together towards Him. Learning to be His light in our community network, cultural, local and worldwide. It is about taking responsibility. It is about knowing we are loved and sharing that love extravagantly. It is about learning together whether old in faith, new in faith or not even sure what we believe yet.

An unlikely combination, that through God's grace has seen real growth. The story continues...

- Mark Broomhead