the end of an era
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Shine, SHINEmk, Shine MK, call them what you will, they made a huge impact on the Christian music scene in the four years they were around. Their exciting mix of contemporary musical styles made them a big hit in Britain, Europe and the United States alike, as they brought the gospel of Christ to tens of thousands of young people. Shine started out in 1998 as a schools ministry team, reaching out to the teenage population of the new city of Milton Keynes in southern England. Loretta, Hanne, Natasha and Nicola visited almost every secondary school - that's children aged 12 and above - in Milton Keynes, bringing a unique mixture of Christian testimony, music and dance.
Spring 2000 saw the release of Shine's smash hit debut CD album Do It Right, which was undoubtedly one of the visually loudest releases of the year too, with its shocking orange artwork. To promote this release Shine featured on various radio and television shows worldwide, including multiple appearances on Songs of Praise and Sunday Morning in the UK, and the 700 Club in the USA. Do It Right was also nominated for two Dove Awards, amongst the Christian music world's most prestigious! Why not listen to some mp3 music clips from Do It Right!
Shine also toured heavily both in Britain and abroad to promote the album, first and foremost to fund their invaluable work in the schools. One of the most exciting events they were involved in was the Celebrate Freedom 2000 festival in Dallas, Texas - at the time the biggest Christian music event ever held! Here are a few photographs of Shine performing at that history-making event:
The Shine girls were never going to get carried away with their fame, and whenever possible carried on working tirelessly in Milton Keynes' schools, with their week in each school usually culminating in a spectacular live show with music interspersed with audience participation, testimony and the gospel - and dozens of youngsters giving their lives to the Lord. The subsequent support given to these new Christians by local churches and by organisations such as the Milton Keynes Bridgebuilder Trust was of course crucial.
In July 2001, Shine's long-awaited follow-up CD album Keep On Moving was finally released in the UK. With a slightly more mature and British sound than Do It Right, some would argue, it met with broad approval from the public and industry alike. The release coincided with a very popular live performance at the Virgin Megastore in Milton Keynes, where the album went on to be their biggest selling new release that week! Alas factors beyond Shine's control meant that Keep On Moving was never officially released in the United States, but plenty of dedicated fans picked up copies via Shine's on-line shop. Why not listen to some of the mp3 music clips?
After much discussion, prayer and deliberation, Shine played their last ever concert in Holland on 8 December 2001. Shine's employers, The Shine Trust, unfortunately had to end their employment in August 2001 due to a lack of funds, and at the same time, three of the girls felt it was time to move on. Hundreds of children in Milton Keynes found Jesus through the work of Shine and the Shine Trust during the three years they were active.
Shine's evangelistic work in Milton Keynes' secondary schools is being continued by the Milton Keynes Bridgebuilder Trust, and Shine would like to thank you so much for your prayer and support over the last four and a half years.
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