[ WM ] Okay. Now the other thing I want to talk about is I was brought to tears as I watched the Auckland Philharmonic performance in New Zealand with Brooke Fraser.( Editor’ s note: Brooke’ s maiden name is Fraser and she also had a career in mainstream music in New Zealand and beyond).
First of all, whoever did the orchestration for that orchestra, those arrangements were phenomenal.
[ Brooke ] Yes.
[ WM ] So let’ s talk about him or her for a second, whoever that was. I don’ t know if it was that conductor …
[ Brooke ] It was actually a group of people. So it was so funny. It’ s over so fast, but that was, I think, about two years in the making of identifying the arrangers, approaching them to do it, choosing which songs they would do, and then them going away and doing it, sending the music back. There was only a few that I had some notes on, but most of them I got them
[ WM ] Yeah. And you had a great crowd there, which I thought was great for your mainstream side. But when you sang the line“ Faith Without Works is Dead.” I mean, I literally cried. That was just such a beautiful moment.
What was that night like to be with a full orchestra? Were you nervous walking out?
[ Brooke ] It was amazing. It was a lot of work leading up to it. And what I didn’ t know was how much work it was going to be afterwards.
[ WM ] Oh, really? With the editing and such?
[ Brooke ] That was brutal.( laughing) But I was so grateful because I had always felt like I never really got to tie the Brooke Fraser thing in a bow the way that I wanted to. So to have the opportunity to put a seal on it and say goodbye in that way. And also in my home country, which was where everything started and to thank the
Brooke Fraser- Live with the Auckland Philharmonia | Full Concert
people who had supported my music since I was pastor or anything like that. But in that moment, literally 18 years old. To get up in front and just I believe because the worship team prayed and say, thank you so much was really special and it had faith and came to minister to the Lord was honestly very emotional. I just felt grateful to and served the house of God … that the Lord be able to close that chapter in that way. encounters people and that ultimately, God is working in people’ s lives.
[ WM ] Far out! So last question. Our readers are worship leaders, worship musicians and And on Sundays we come together and tech teams that week in, week out, they give of miracles happen. And often, we don’ t see them themselves. As a worship leader yourself, any this side of heaven. But I think that we can have words of encouragement you have for these folks faith that the Lord’ s always working, and that that are in the trenches week in and week out? He delights to use really ordinary people like us who just say“ yes” to Him.
[ Brooke ] I don’ t know. It sounds cheesy, but I like to remind myself there are no ordinary [ WM ] That’ s a great answer. That’ s not cheesy Sundays … that, you never know. Well, I know at all. Thank you so much for giving your time from the perspective of I don’ t think the worship and yourself for both our readers of Worship band who were on the morning that I first Musician and for myself personally. You really walked into a church, they certainly would’ ve are kindhearted, Brooke. I appreciate you so had no idea that I walked into the back of a little much. God bless you. Salvation Army church and had an encounter with God and worship that changed my life. [ Brooke ] You too. Always good to talk to you, They probably to this day don’ t know that Bruce. that happened.
For all things Brooke:
[ WM ] Wow! Brookeligertwood. com
[ Brooke ] I think that that’ s probably the same for the people who just serve week in and week out and don’ t know the stories that they’ ll find out in heaven. They will find out one day that maybe there was somebody who walked up the back and they never got to speak to a
The Water- Brooke Ligertwood
18 May 2026 Subscribe for Free...