Writer, Mentor and Friend
Chris Porter
From 'Echoes' to
'It Is Never Too Late To Learn About Love'
and onwards, the creative journey continues....
This page is dedicated to the continuing wonderful work and the writings of my dear friend Chris Porter.
We met back in 1992 where I was at a point of my life where some guidance and direction was needed to help me start what has been a dream journey in the exploration of music and helping others through the power of sound. Having never had any music lessons, which I still haven't, it was always going to be a challenge with where to start and how to progress forward in an industry already so full of success hungry musicians.
Chris very kindly gave me space and time to share thoughts, and some very questionable early demo tapes, and helped me to discover my 'own' sound and not just to try or sound like others. To simply 'just be myself'.
Advice I've maintained to this day, not only through my music but also in daily life. And so after a year of working on ideas I booked a studio on Dartmoor and the first album 'Echoes from the Mist' was born. As Chris is a writer I wanted to add one of his many writings to be read over the last track on the album
'In Search of a New Destiny' and so our first creative collaboration became a reality.
Without the support and guidance of my friend the World may never have known the music of Neil H. I am and will be forever grateful for making my dream a reality.
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Echoes from Mist
is available on CD via this link
The next album, a year later, 'Voices of the Heart' would again include the words of Chris Porter with the focus on this album being about love and relationship.
Voices of the Heart
is available on CD via this link
Our next collaboration was a bit special.
'Syllabus of Magic - Merlin's Quest' has been and remained a very popular album. Not connected to the Arthurian legend but more a journey of self discovery and understanding.
Chris wrote a chapter entitled 'A Conversation with Merlin' from his book 'Personal Journeys'.
I was so inspired by this writing that I wanted to create a musical adaptation featuring narrations from the story, which would include Chris himself narrating as Merlin. We also recorded the whole chapter as a bonus CD for the limited 2 CD deluxe edition release. This 1000 only release comes in a CD sized book fold
presentation with the full 'Conversation with Merlin' story included on CD 2.
So you can enjoy the music, listen to the narrated story as an audio book or just read the story. This also was the first time any of Chris's writings had been fully seen as a public release so was a special moment.
Syllabus of Magic - Merlin's Quest
Deluxe Limited Edition
is available via this link
The next time Chris's words would feature with my music was on the now discontinued EP release 'Reflections'. I used a beautiful writing entitled
'Purity and Love' and adapted it so could be read over the first part of the track 'The Voice - Purity and love'. A piece I wanted to do sharing a link between the Male and Female energy. The poem was read by Debbie Wander followed by a Male chant by Scott Jasper. Even though 'Reflections' is no longer available in its CD format this track can now be downloaded as a single and also features on the 'Elements 3CD Box Set'
Elements 3CD Box Set
is available via this link
In 2017 and 20 years after the release of the first album in the Merlin series Chris wrote part 2 of the Merlin Story 'Return to Magic'.
Chris again narrated parts of the story as Merlin with the focus of the new chapter being about the power of now, the importance of being in the moment.
To celebrate the release we were invited to perform at Chalice Well Gardens in Glastonbury where we could share the continued journey of Merlin and indeed our own personal journeys in the now. As with Syllabus of Magic Chris narrated the whole story for CD 2 of the 2 CD album release. A CD sized book of the story was also released with the set for a limited time. Both the album and the full story are available to download.
Chris Porter
reading 'Return to Magic - The Story'
Return to Magic
is available on CD via this link
With 'Words to Music Music to Words' the intention was to create a connection between the written form and the musical form. Art has many forms of expression. For some it is through the medium of paint. For myself it is in the composing of tunes, melodies and soundscapes to elevate the listener to a place of calm, a place of dreams, a place beyond the limitations of our daily lives.
And for people like my friend Chris, his art is in the use of words to convey a feeling, or create an imaginative setting where someone can wander, or to take someone on a journey into the otherwise private world of another person’s thoughts.
The result of this work are poems, thoughts and feelings about a variety of topics that he has pondered on throughout his life. "Words to Music" is a beautiful collection of thoughtful poetry and writings.
This is the second of Chris's writings to be publicly published.
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Words to Music Music to Words
is available on CD via this link
In December of 1985 Chris produced sixty copies of a book that contained a selection of his poems called ‘The Progress of a Modern Day Pilgrim on the Road of Life’. It was a collection of thoughts, feelings and prose on his attitudes at the time towards religion, ethics, and morals.
After receiving some positive feedback he decided to compile another book based on what are still for him the strongest motivating forces that have guided Chris through his life and accompanied his signature since the age of sixteen - those of ‘Love and Friendship’.
This compilation is based on his thoughts regarding love, friendship and relationships, building on the original book that was created back in 1986.
Due to the response from the album 'Words to Music - Music to Words' Chris and I worked on putting together a CD of some of the poems being read by Chris with my musical accompaniment.
Love and Friendship Chris xx
is available on CD via this link
Seasons - The Readings
At the beginning of 2019 I was planning a series of 4 concerts that would be live intuitive recordings inspired by each of the 4 Seasons.
I invited Chris to write his thoughts, feelings, about each Season and as an introduction to each of the 4 concerts to read them out accompanied by myself creating a supportive soundscape.
The Magic of Now and the Conversations with Merlin Book
Following on from Syllabus of Magic and Return to Magic in 2021 Chris wrote the final chapter in the Merlin stories.
The Magic of Now completed the Merlin Trilogy in 2023 and to celebrate the completion of this magical series of work Chris released a book containing all three of the Conversations with Merlin in a special signed edition.
It Is Never Too Late To Learn About Love
In early 2023 Chris brought together all the monthly ‘meditations’ that he had written for me over the last two years and compiled them into a book.
Many people messaged me to say how much you have enjoyed reading them, and how you found them to be inspiring and motivating.
We decided to select four from the book and record them as meditations for you to enjoy.
They are read by Chris and I have accompanied them with relaxing music.
Spread over two discs, each meditation is read and then followed by gentle music to allow you to ponder on the thoughts, or to create an environment where you can drift into peaceful contemplation.
Each meditation and musical accompaniment lasts half an hour, creating in total two hours of meditative music.
The book is being sold exclusively through my website, and is available from December. It is 100 pages of beautiful writing, that presents thoughts on issues about personal development and spiritual awareness.
And so the journey continues...
'Its time to move on...
we move forward
In Search of a New Destiny' words by Chris Porter.
© Neil H Official 2024