Caroline Bailey: A Story of Faith, Music and Ceramics
PART 1 THE EARLY YEARS
From a nervous teenager hiding behind a church pillar with knocking knees to becoming a teacher, youth worker, project leader, musical director, preacher, pastor and professional ceramic artist, Caroline Bailey's journey is one of faith, creativity and wholehearted service.
Her story is as eclectic as it is inspiring, demonstrating how God can weave together gifts, passions and calling into a life of ministry that reaches far beyond the walls of the church.
A Creative Beginning
Born and raised in Orpington, Kent, Caroline cannot remember a time when the arts were not part of her life. Music, poetry, painting and drawing all featured from an early age, alongside regular church attendance that laid the foundations of a lifelong Christian faith.
Music surrounded Caroline throughout her childhood. Her family introduced her to the beauty of sacred choral music by taking her to Kentish churches where her granddad sang with a choir. Meanwhile, her nan nurtured her love of classical music by buying the family a piano and filling the house with its sound. Caroline now has that very piano at home here in Cornwall. Caroline’s dad has eclectic music tastes and the house resounded to pop, jazz and rock as well as tumultuous Beethoven sonatas, elegant Chopin preludes and thundering organ recitals. Caroline and her sister also spent much of their childhood dancing around the house to 70s and 80s pop classics, and Caroline well remembers trying to fall asleep while her dad blasted out his latest tracks on his homemade stereo speaker system thumping from downstairs! Her mum was a keen dressmaker and gardener, and her dad was always up to some creative hobby - whether DIY, picture framing or wine making. The house and garden were always abuzz with something creative going on.
Caroline taught herself to play the piano before going on to take taking formal lessons. She had already mastered the recorder, and by the age of ten she had begun learning the flute, eventually achieving Grade 8. Years later, in her late twenties, she discovered Irish whistles and developed a love of Celtic and folk music, inspired initially by films such as The Lord of the Rings and Titanic.
Creativity extended beyond music. Many family members were artists and creatives, and as a child she loved writing poetry, drawing and experimenting with clay. She still has a ceramic swan she made aged seven and a fish dish created when she was eleven.
Faith Takes Root
Faith was always central to Caroline's life. At fifteen she was confirmed in the Church of England in the very same service as the young man who would later become her husband. The pair had first met at their church youth club when they were just eleven years old.
That same year, her church formed a worship group. Caroline joined as the flautist but was so nervous that she played from behind a pillar—hardly imagining that one day she would be preaching to congregations and leading worship and choirs herself.
PART 2 of Caroline's story will be available soon at www.bodminway.org.
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