Although right in the middle of launching the Sout Project, my family and I have just gone off grid for the last week. We went to the famous Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga province; it has been one of my dreams to travel with my loved ones into the African bush which forms such a part of my own history.

Well we saw the "big 5" - buffalo, leopard, lion, elephant and rhinoceros - but the highlight for me was not consuming the spectacle as a tourist, but being part of the great natural world. I sat for hours on the banks of the Letaba river, getting into the rhythms of the bush and watching animals come and go in their leisurely way. The birdlife - its diversity, richness and beauty - was captivating. Being with my brother Ant was a pleasure - he is a deeply committed birder (birdwatcher) and helped me identify innumerable species.

The last song on the album is "Bigsmall" (featuring Brian McLaren and Madosini) and is based on “An African Canticle”, taken from Desmond Tutus “An African Prayer Book”, and the book of Job. The bush experience brought home the words already committed to the recording: a robin like the one which duets with the mandolin; the vast skies, and the magnificent baobab tree - said to grow as old as 2000 or even 3000 years.

Bless the Lord oh small things
Creatures of the Sun
Seeds and pollen, ants and bees
Every tiny one

Who has comprehended
The vastness of God’s life?
The mysteries and energies
The miracle of light?

Bless the Lord oh big things
Whose glory is your size
Baobabs and elephants
And everlasting skies

Who has comprehended
The vastness of the Earth?
The mystery of dying
And the miracle of birth

Where is the home of lightning?
Where is the hail stored?
Who can bind the Pleiades?
Or loose Orion’s cords?

Who has comprehended
The vastness of God’s love?
Around, outside and everywhere
Below, inside, above

Bless the Lord oh people
Keepers of Gods worth
May your love for one another
Be known throughout the Earth