"Try not to get converted", a member of my family told me, when I announced that I was taking his call in the middle of Cheltenham Racecourse at this years Greenbelt Festival. Of course, that is not the point of Greenbelt, the annual festival celebrating all that is Christian. The festival is all about – quite literally – preaching to the converted. Not that non-Christians aren’t completely welcome, of course, it is just that the festival really isn’t designed for us. Or so I thought. For the uninitiated, the proceedings are multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-denominational. Theatre, music, talks, comedy, arts and crafts, sit alongside tents representing all the Christian charities, not to mention more organic food and drink than anyone could possibly consume over one bank holiday weekend. Even the site itself makes for a slightly surreal scene; its many venues superimposed upon Cheltenham racecourses’ betting shops and hospitality suites like a slightly inappropriate houseguest. Having never been before, I was first attracted by a couple of musicians I wanted to see on the Friday evening, namely up and coming singer-songwriter Martha Tilston and delectable Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini, not to mention Greenbelt’s excellent policy of offering cheaper day and evening tickets to local residents. However, having enjoyed both these artists, and discovered a new one – remarkable contemporary folk rock musician Jim Moray – I was keen for more. Though there principally for the music, of course, Saturday and Sunday saw me getting deeper into the vibe of the festival and musically, it was a revelation. Christian music gets something of a bum deal in mainstream, despite the presence of such high-profile Christian bands as Athlete and U2, but as the weekend drew on the subtlety of styles became more interesting. Christian music is very much a microcosm of the music industry as a whole, with, for instance its own rap or teen metal heroes (like Sneek, from Bradford). Acts with a mainstream reputation and very little that can be called obviously religious in their lyric writing, like The Proclaimers, soul singer Carleen Anderson and former Deacon Blue front man Ricky Ross were well represented, alongside the best of contemporary singer songwriters like up and coming Irishwoman Juliet Turner and award-winning Scotswoman Karine Polwart. On the other hand, English singer Cathy Burton, while existing within the Christian rock community, has a pop-rock album “Speed Your Love” as commercial as many mainstream chart acts. Non - Christians will be slightly less comfortable with the full on worship music of John Davis despite his hook-laden rock approach, though both he and Note for A Child, who play sublime ambient folk-pop with world-music flourishes, have the talent to win a more mainstream audience. I would urge those with an interest in music, to open their minds and dip into Greenbelt next year. It really is a very friendly, a festival for all ages, and the religious aspects are distinctly non-threatening. I left feeling that I understood the Christian community a little better, but with my agnosticism very much intact. A convert to Greenbelt, though? In a word, yes. This article contains user-generated content (i.e. external contribution) expressing a personal opinion, not the views of BBC Gloucestershire. Click on the link on the right to see pics from Greenbelt 2005, including photos of performers on stage taken by Stephen Lambe. |
