We have our roots in the Young Adults group that was started at the parish of St. Thomas More in Coventry, back in the 1990s. It was open to all aged over 16 and aimed to get young people active within the parish, covering varying aspects of life within the church. As time went on, its members moved on too. Eventually, only a few people remained but to make the most of what was left, someone suggested an idea to create a music group – something missing from the regular Sunday mass that we could inject.
We gave traditional hymns a new lease of life, away from the usual backing of an organ. We also introduced modern hymns and songs, to bring the mass further up to date. With the support of the parish clergy, we have engaged the congregation in alternative musical worship.
But it was becoming tiresome referring to ourselves as ‘the 9 o’clock music group’ – we needed a name. After weeks of brainstorming and deliberation, one of us suggested Soul Reason. The name stuck.
Since then, we have recruited more players and singers, adding more layers to our sound. We also have a contingent of children and parents that join us from the primary school attached to the church. We have been known to venture outside the church in the past, playing outside at the parish Summer Fete and organising music-driven barbecue evenings. But these days, you’re most likely to find us accompanying proceedings at 9am mass on Sundays, and even at the occasional wedding.
We’ve been on the airwaves too! In January 2009, we joined forces with CJM Music as they led the Sunday Worship programme on BBC Radio 4, broadcast live from our parish church.
More recently, we started writing our own music for the mass, based on the new translation of the Roman Missal. During the lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we also recorded some hymns and songs for our priest to play over the church’s webcam every Sunday. Thanks to technology, we recorded our parts for each song remotely at home and then mixed them together.