Organised by All Saints church, Beyton, Gospel on the Green is a reflection on the diversity of gospel music and included performances from traditional to rock gospel. Gospel is a form of music which expresses Christian values and beliefs, praising God and his teachings through song.
 | | Julie Hall performing |
The first act came on stage after a brief greeting from organiser, Martyn Ryan. As the sun tried to break through the clouds the crowd settled to enjoy Sweet Vicky and the Gospel Fire Band. When she first came onstage in her white tracksuit, I honestly expected her to break into RnB, but was surprised to hear her choruses of ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Praise the Lord’, which complimented the original idea I had of gospel. Singing in both English and Swahili, this talented artist originally from Uganda but currently in North London, sang traditional African gospel with an upbeat Caribbean style of music behind, giving the whole sound an original flare. Vicky was very happy to see lots of people at the event and said, “It’s really good because it gets people out of their houses and gives them the chance to relax, listen to the music and make new friends.”
 | | Quatuor Yimbila performing |
Julie Hall was second to the stage, with a very different style of music. Obviously heavily influenced by acoustic folk music, she took to the stage with her backing band to sing some very poetic love songs. Her lyrics focusing more on love than the Lord giving her a very different sound to the previous act. With a very relaxed and laid-back style, her beautiful voice could be exposed effortlessly, and I do not doubt that she will find a lot of success in the future. Quatuor Yimbila then bought a much more light-hearted and fun approach to the afternoon. These talented young men were very entertaining, and gave my favourite performance of the day, singing well-known numbers such as When the Saints go Marching in, but blending them with their own Congo style. Dressed smartly in black suits, and donned with a guitar and keyboard, they were definitely deserving of the praise I heard before their set. Toe tapping and body moving would not be the only way to describe this unique style of African gospel and this group are set to do much more in local churches and at many more events.
 | | GEM nominee, Stuart Menzies Farrant |
Before the finale of the afternoon I snatched a few moments with GEM nominee and winner of a Christian vocalist of the year award, Stuart Menzies Farrant, and asked him what he thought about bringing this type of event out into a small community. Stuart told me, “It is a brilliant idea to reach into the community with gospel and to use diverse groups from all over the world to do so.”
With a very high standard of gospel rock music, something which would communicate the message of the day much better to people of my age, Stuart Menzies Farrant and his band were a very good end to a successful day. |
