Paul has worked as a songwriter, composer, producer and performer since 1976 in the UK and abroad. He has received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers and a Dove Award (and two nominations) from GMA in Nashville along with numerous other awards from ASCAP in the USA. He has had #1 chart success with his songs in the UK, USA, Holland, South Africa and Germany and has received many Platinum and Gold records for his songs.
He has lectured part-time at Bath Spa University on their MA songwriting course, critiquing students’ work and leading master classes. He also runs songwriting workshops. Recently, he’s written and produced ‘Cargo’ & ’The Stolen lives project’ in collaboration with The Wilberforce Institute at Hull University. He continues to perform informal singer songwriter concerts.
What are your earliest memories of your Christianity?
My Christian and musical roots were in a Baptist Church in South London where my Father was the Organist and Choirmaster and my Mother ran the Sunday school. In the late 60’s, there was no real contemporary Christian music, it was hymns or gospel.
How did you get into music?
When I was twelve my sister’s boyfriend gave me a guitar and I taught myself to play (I’ve never had a music lesson) mainly by listening to Paul Simon on my Fathers ‘stereogram’, continually lifting the needle and copying what I heard. Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and Bob Dylan were also big influences on me.
How did you start to write Christian music?
I was fortunate that the minister of the church, Norman Renshaw, was very forward looking and encouraged the church, especially the young people, to incorporate creative ideas into the worship and other events. We had an active youth group and I began to write songs to play with them in church. This led to the formation of my first group ‘Nutshell’ in the early 70s, recording our first album in 1974. I went full time into music in 1976.
Have any Christian musicians or music influenced you?
Alongside the increasing popularity of singer-songwriters in the mainstream music world, there were also many emerging Christian writers and bands who expressed their faith in a contemporary creative style. “Nutshell’ along with artists such as Graham Kendrick, Garth Hewitt, ‘Parchment’, were in increasing demand to play at various events, mostly as part of different churches outreach around the country. American acts such as Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, ‘Lovesong’ were pioneering Christian rock as a way to reach young people. It was controversial at the time to bring this style with drums, electric guitars etc into a church setting. Hard to imagine these days when most worship is band-led.
How does your music fit into Christian ministry?
I’ve never considered what I do as a songwriter and musician as a ministry any more than any other Christian. For me the definition of Christian ministry is ‘ The act of serving others and spreading the message of Jesus Christ by living out one’s faith through actions that demonstrate love, compassion, and service to those in need’ So it applies to every Christian, whether a musician, preacher, teacher, builder or plumber.
How has Christian music changed since you started?
I’ve seen the emphasis on Christian Music move almost completely from outreach to the world to worship for the church. It’s a pity that the pendulum has swung so far away from creativity that aims to speak to people where they are in all aspects of life in the fragile world we live in. We risk becoming very inward looking, producing art that seems to aim to bless us over and over again rather than bless us so that we can be a blessing to others.
Find out more about Paul and his music at paulfield.com
Extracted from Ichthus newsletter Summer 2025