The Book of Ruth

Ten years ago there was a house group, a part of the Chichester Christian Fellowship. Nigel Purchase was leader and other members included Martine, his wife, Ray and Vickii Frith, Bill and Anita Lander, Mary Ann Bart and Suzie Kirby. Suzie wrote songs using bible verses, which she sang at the house group.

One evening the meeting was held at Mary Ann Bart's house. Suzie had produced a tape of her songs called 'Through Sunshine After Rain'. Nigel suggested to Suzie that she should write music using verses from the book of Ruth to create a musical version.

The script was taken directly from Ruth and the first song to be composed was 'Do not ask me to leave you', sung to Naomi when, after the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilian, the husbands of Naomi, Ruth and Orpah, Naomi tells Ruth to return to Moab. The first readthrough of the script took place at Nigel and Martine's house and is recorded with Suzie singing this song.

Suzie later left the fellowship and Joined the Baptist Church in Chichester and during the following years up to the time of her death completed the musical verson of Ruth in 2001, making a recording of the songs. Suzie visited Nigel in his Chichester Gallery shortly before she died and asked him if , in the event of her death, he would take her creation of Ruth and help to produce it for the stage.

The first meeting of a group of friends, who came together to work towards this goal, was held in November 2001. Colin Duriez, of intervarsity press, and an expert on the work of C.S.Lewis, offered to edit the music and the words that Suzie had compiled. This was done and brought to the next meeting in comb bound volumes with the manuscript. Since this time a revised manuscript has been produced and from this Ian Clark of the Chichester Baptist Church has increased the dialogue and put in stage directions.

The first production is to be staged at the Chichester Baptist Church, to an invited audience, on 6th June 2003. If you would like to know more about the production, or to attend that first informal performance, or you can help in some way to realise the dream of bringing Suzie's work to a wider audience, please contact Nigel at the address given.
Sample Songs