Elhenan was originally set up as a studio band, set up back in 1989 for the express purpose of releasing locally written Praise and Worship Music in the New England area of Australia. There were many Christian songwriters in the area and all were struggling for recognition of what God was giving them in the way of a message through music.
Those originally involved with the project looked for a suitable Biblical name for the band that was not a name that was that well known. Many names were put forward until finally Elhenan was chosen. Elhenan was one of King David's Special guard of thirty (see 2 Samuel 23:24 -"Elhenan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem" - also written as Elhanan in some translations) and it was because of his association with David (the musician) that finally swung the choice in favour of this name.
The first album, Take What I Am was released in 1990 on cassette only. Whilst not designed to take the world market, it filled the need at the time. However, the album only featured one songwriter as, for various reasons, others had withdrawn from the project, despite the need to be heard. This album has now been digitised and made available on CD as well.
Tracks were prepared for a second album (Nineties Praise) in 1996 but for many reasons the final compilation was never made and released, a couple of these tracks being used in the Lifting Up To Him album that was released in November of 2002. Plans are now in motion to re-mix these tracks (the ones not used in a later release) and release them, possibly early in 2007.
By this time, Elhenan had progressed to being the Christian music of Bob Burling and collaborative songwriters.
Towards the end of 2001 and into 2002, Bob wrote an instrumental interpretation on the Book of Genesis. Genesis - A Rock Symphony had been a project in the making for many years but with a new enthusiasm for writing and new equipment to use, what had already been done before was re-worked, the remaining music was written and the entire album released in January, 2002. This release was recorded by InstrumentalOz, a studio and digital band. The release of this album marked a different approach to the music that Bob was capable of writing.In late 2002, Elhenan released a collaboration songwriting album. The concept them of the album and the words of many of the songs were written by Marion Ryan, these were then set to music, along with chosen Psalms that fitted the theme. Teaming up with Bob Burling (who wrote and arranged the actual music), the result was the album Seed Of Faith And Love. This album explored to idea that through all our faith, we start as a seed and grow and, then produce spiritual seeds of our own to enable the cycle to continue.
August, 2005, and the album Homesick For Heaven arrived and featured a new style of presentation of music that could be easily used in praise and worship. The songs on this album deal with applications to day to day life.
By 2006, several others had begun co-writing songs with Bob as the desire to get the message of God's Word out became increasingly important. Some of this music will be released on a variety of different albums aready in the making whilst others will appear as sample music for other artists to take up and use.
Australian Praise and Worship music is well and truly alive and there are many songwriters involved in the churches across Australia with material. Elhenan continues to be a vessel for some of that music to be made available to the wider sphere beyond the local church involved.
