Katherine is a neighbour and friend. When my first son was born he had to visit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Katherine looked after him because she worked there as a nurse. This was before we knew Katherine. We then got to know her and she's one of the most terrific people we know. She loves to sing and is an active member of the St Cecilia singers and participates in the Three Choirs Festival each year. We had been talking about making music together for a long while before she asked me to record her singing for something her dad was doing with his drama group. I was astonished at the quality of her voice then so I was even more keen to find a suitable opportunity to get her singing on one of my projects. While I was writing this song and the lyrics began to emerge I knew Katherine would be able to get behind the sentiment 100% so I invited her to be the first of several singers with prominent parts. Katherine sings Love is ever expanding, holding the space of those within it in the tangle.

Having heard Tim's voice on his own original material I knew that his voice would compliment Katherine's and again that he would get behind the sentiment of the lyrics 100% so he is the 2nd voice prominent voice on this song and sings God is the big absence, the empty silence, great mystery in the tangle.

Stu is a best friend of mine from university days (that's over 20 years ago now!). We were in bands together and he is a handy bass player and great at composing and singing harmonies on the fly. So originally I'd pencilled a line in the tangle for Stu, but as soon as I showed him the demo he was harmonising lovely parts all over the opening verses so we recorded his ideas and made them part of the arrangement. I composed the bass line originally and Stu expertly learned and reproduced it without fuss. There are only a few musicians that have been brought into the project from outside Gloucestershire, each has to be highly deserving of a place in the team and Stu's performance is brilliant and his harmonies a not altogether unexpected bonus! He sings We made it through the long dark, knew we would in the tangle.

Shane is one of the greatest drummers I know. He's better than he believes. The blend of discernment, taste, creativity, professional experience and technical qualities makes him amongst my most valued collaborators, especially on this project. I can't wait to make more music with Shane so watch this space.

I met Colin through Shane a few years ago. Shane invited me to try out for a little band he had formed with Colin. I slotted in nicely and really got on with Colin (who writes all the songs). Life gets in the way of us making more music, but it was this new band (which also includes Charlotte Ayrton) that I had in mind as the backbone of this song production. I was really pleased to include Colin in the team and enjoy his unique characteristic guitar skills.

I've known Charlie for a while now. We met at Musiclab, the Guildhall's open stage so it was fitting that he was representative of the Musiclab community (along with Pat Roberts who was in the scratch choir and founded Musiclab originally) on this project. Charlie's day job (or should I say calling?) is as a pastor of a Gloucester church so to my mind it's fitting that he play on this song. Charlie is a brilliant guitarist with mastery of the fretboard that I envy. He tells me that he'd love to be able to play the way I do - well, Charlie the feeling is more than mutual!

Not only was I able to get 2 of my favourite guitarists in the same band at the same time for this song, I was able to get 3! Charlotte has been playing with Colin, Shane and I in our little band called The Long Bees so she is familiar with our approach. It's actually Charlotte's guitar part that holds the arrangement together. She's not afraid to experiment and step outside of her comfort bubble in order to push the envelope. I'm so fortunate to have Charlotte enjoy playing on my projects. Back when Stu (above) and I were at university her band were on tour and played a show at our university. We didn't know her then but our band supported and it was only once I moved to Gloucestershire that we moved in the same social circles for a time. What a happy coincidence then for me to be making music in the same group as Charlotte over two decades later.

Nice for me to play piano as part of the band instead of guitar. Despite not being a fan of my own singing voice my backing vocals from the original sketch have a very specific character that couldn't be reproduced so they stayed on this.

Helen is another old friend from the same social circles from when I first moved to Gloucestershire that Charlotte was part of. Helen's been singing in a number of quality groups since I've known her, but weirdly we've never made music together. This was a good opportunity to include her in a song that I knew she'd enjoy singing. Helen sings Even without faith the truth enters in the tangle.

Vicki taught the scratch choir their parts and sings "Though we cannot pray a prayer utters itself" in the tangle

Sebastian sings Love is intriguing, unexpected and can be missed in the small things in the tangle.