Legendary Black Sabbath guitarist and proud Birmingham supporter Tony Iommi has written and released a piece of music celebrating his home city.
How Good It Is, was produced in conjunction with the Dean of Birmingham the Very Reverend Catherine Ogle and performed by Iommi and men and boys from the Cathedral Choir.
The five-minute arrangement, which celebrates peace, harmony and the Cathedral’s role in the heart of the city, features the Handsworth-born music pioneer on acoustic guitar.
Sixty-eight-year-old Iommi, who helped give birth to the heavy metal music genre in the 1960s, is currently on ‘The End’ world tour with Black Sabbath, and will be performing two last-ever gigs at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on February 2nd and 4th 2017.
He described writing the music for Birmingham Cathedral as ‘a nice thing to do’ for his hometown.
“It’s great to be involved with the Cathedral and doing something for it,” he said. “When Catherine mentioned it, it felt like a nice thing to do, to be able to give something to the city.”
Lyrics for How Good It Is
Inspired by Psalm 133
How good, oh how good…
How good it is
Where friendship dwells
How good it is
When kindred live
In peace and love
How good it is
When strangers meet
And find a home
How good it is, so good….
This is home, this is home…
Our city, God’s city, our home….
So good, so good, together, so good…
Catherine Ogle, April 2016
