Dave Bankhead

Dave is classically trained and was keyboard player with HEARTBEAT, a full-time Christian team ministry active primarily in worship and youth evangelism in the U.K. from 1982 - 1991. He is a worship leader, and co-writer of well-known songs like “Come on and celebrate”, “Heal our nation”, I will speak out”, “Behold the Lamb” and many others. He is also a music arranger and record producer, and contributed also to HEARTBEAT’s two chart singles, appearing with the band on many TV shows, including “Top of the Pops”.

Together with his wife Jean, he ran a creative arts training scheme (CATS) aimed at encouraging and training gifted young people for several years between 1990 - 1994, hosting numerous training days and weekends across the U.K.

In 1996, Dave launched an entirely new worship initiative entitled “WE ARE ONE!”; a new ministry committed to praying and working for healing and reconciliation between Christians from widely different church traditions. It began life as a concept album and a prayer concert tour which took in some 15/16 venues across the U.K. These worship celebrations carried a strong emphasis on repentance, prayer for unity, and a shared passion for Jesus so that revival may at last come to these shores.

In 1997 Dave became increasingly involved in Ireland, and in October of that year We are One! put a small team of English and Irish worship musicians and dancers together which toured mainly in Northern Ireland. Catholics and Protestants came together, some for the first time, to worship, pray and seek God’s healing for the land. Dave's most recent projects have been in Rwanda where he recorded a worship album on the theme of healing and reconciliation in 1999, and a follow-up album in 2002 for children, in partnership with Family Worship.

In 1994, Dave set up a new 16 track digital recording studio - Moonstone Studios - with its primary aim to be a resource for the Kingdom. The studio has professional sequencing and sampling capabilities with an extensive CD-ROM/Zip drive library of sounds. There is a full range of outboard processors, including several Lexicon reverb units. There are two recording locations, one with visual contact, and a range of microphones for instrument and vocal recording. Working with long-time colleague Dave Strange (who was Heartbeat’s sound engineer) they have produced worship albums and other audio resource material for many of the major Christian record labels and organisations in the U.K. at one time or other. Here is a list of some of the most recent albums and projects:

• Ichthus Family Worship Vol 1-4 (Arranged and part-recorded)
• “Teach us to pray”/Mike Burn, Ichthus Christian Fellowship
• The Source (Vols 1-5)/Alliance (Arranged and part recorded)
• “The Celtic Source”/Alliance
• “The Australian Source” compilation/Alliance
• “Home for Eternity”/Phil Lawson-Johnston
• “Revival Fires”/Sharon Baker
• “No Compromise”/Maurice and Wendy Ritchie & C.O.C. Churches
• Several radio promo CD’s/Tear Fund
• “Faith comes by Hearing” project title track/The Bible Society

If you are a Christian worship leader, recording artist or musicians with an upcoming project, please feel free to contact the studio at:

Moonstone Studios:

Tel: 01666-825030
Fax: 01666-825782

Check out Dave's own site - We Are One!

You can e-mail Dave