Greenbelt festival
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The Greenbelt festival is an annual Christian festival of music, art and faith. Held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a music event, to which 1500 people came, to seeing crowds of nearly 30,000 with a much broader scope of arts, faith, and justice.
The festival regularly attracts the biggest names of Christian music and many mainstream musicians. Those that have played the festival in the past include old rockers, new folksters and soaring pop-stars. This list has encompassed U2, Moby, Cliff Richard, Bruce Cockburn, Martyn Joseph, Steve Taylor, Daniel Amos, Phatfish, Midnight Oil, Over the Rhine, Iona, Amy Grant, Miles Cain, Lamb, Kevin Max, dfg, Lambchop, Goldie, Jamelia, After the Fire, Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Asian Dub Foundation, The Polyphonic Spree, Dum Dums, The Proclaimers, Daniel Bedingfield, Duke Special, Why? and Delirious?. The festival has also featured Christian rock bands aimed at younger Greenbelters.
Greenbelt is also a venue for teaching and discussion around (but not exclusively within) the Christian faith, and has attracted a large number of famous Christian speakers, including Rowan Williams (now Archbishop of Canterbury) who is currently the festival's patron. However, it is not just about inviting Christians to speak. The festival welcomes anyone who the organisers believe 'speaks for justice', usually meaning that they are on the political left, and has recently had Anita Roddick, Peter Tatchell, Bill Drummond and Billy Bragg sharing their thoughts. Greenbelt sees itself as having never been shy of tackling controversial issues and providing a 'safe space for honest debate'.
More recently with its links to the NGO Christian Aid, Greenbelt has become heavily involved in campaigns for trade justice. The festival was one of the main catalysts for the huge Jubilee 2000 movement. Greenbelt is also a showcase for performing arts, visual arts and alternative worship, again, not exclusively Christian.
[edit] History
Greenbelt was started by Ken Frampton, James Holloway, and Jim Palosaari, on a pig farm just outside the village of Charsfield near Woodbridge, Suffolk over the August 1974 bank holiday weekend. Local fears concerning the festival in the weeks running up to it proved to be unfounded, but the festival didn't return to the venue.
Between 1975 and 1981 the festival was held in the grounds of Odell Castle in Bedfordshire.
The largest audiences for Greenbelt were during its two-year stay at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire, 1982 and 1983.
1984 saw Greenbelt move to one of its longest-serving homes, Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire. While at Castle Ashby, Greenbelt begun the practise of naming festivals. Artists are encouraged to draw from the theme where possible.
Originally the 1992 festival was expected to be held at a new, permanent home on a farm a few miles away in Church Stowe. Greenbelt had finances in place to purchase the site, but met strong resistance from local residents. The plans collapsed and the festival returned to Castle Ashby one last time.
From 1993 to 1998 Greenbelt's home was the grounds of Deene Park, Northamptonshire. Putting the plan to purchase a permanent site on hold, Greenbelt instead negotiated with Deene Park's owner and invested in infrastructure improvements to this temporary site instead.
Following a downturn in audience figures and rising production costs, Greenbelt faced up to the inevitable in 1998: it was no longer financially viable to continue using the Deene Park site. A bold plan was devised. The 1998 festival was pitched as the "last Greenbelt of its kind", with two festivals planned for 1999: a youth-oriented festival "Freestate" in partnership with Spring Harvest to be held the August Bank Holiday weekend in 1999 and a more family-oriented "Greenbelt" to be held over the last weekend in July in 1999 at Cheltenham Racecourse.
In early 1999 plans for Freestate collapsed and its embryonic programme was hastily rolled into the Greenbelt planned for Cheltenham. The 1999 Greenbelt Festival took place at Cheltenham but saw the lowest audiences since the 1970s. It remains the only Greenbelt to have taken place other than on an August Bank Holiday weekend.
Greenbelt worked through its financial difficulties and has returned to its Christian roots, welcoming all wings of the church equally. Recent festivals at the new Cheltenham racecourse have had ever-increasing audiences. Today Greenbelt sees audiences comparable in numbers to those of its "glory days" in the early 1980s.
[edit] Locations, Themes and Contributors
| Festival | Date, Venue & Theme | Contributors included: |
|---|---|---|
| GB01 | 23 - 26 August 1974 | Parchment, Garth Hewitt, Steve Turner, All Things New, Narnia, Liberation Suite, Stewart Henderson, Lonesome Stone, George Duffin, John Peck, Jack Filby, Eric Delve, The Living Stones |
| Prospect Farm, Suffolk | ||
| GB02 | August 1975 | After the Fire, Arnion, All Things New, Liberation Suite, Fish Co, Patrick Sookhdeo, Jean Darnell |
| Odell Castle, Bedfordshire | ||
| GB03 | August 1976 | Randy Matthews, Bryn Haworth Band, After the Fire with Ishmael, Mighty Flyers, Chuck Girard, Honeytree, Fish Co, Garth Hewitt, Graham Kendrick, Adrian Snell, Paul Burbridge & Murray Watts, John Peck, Graham Cray |
| Odell Castle | ||
| GB04 | August 1977 | All Saints Star Band, Alwyn Wall band, Masterpiece, Nutshell, Kenny Marks, John Pantry, Graham Cray, John Peck, Bill Mason, Wellies |
| Odell Castle | ||
| GB05 | August 1978 | Ishmael United, Bryn Haworth, Jessy Dixon, Garth Hewitt, Adrian Snell, Rodney Corder, Giantkiller, Fish Co, Parchment, John Gladwin, Margaret Winfield, Graham Kendrick, Martin Evans, Malcolm Doney, Patrick Sookhdeo, Jim Punton, Riding Lights Theatre Co |
| Odell Castle | ||
| GB06 | August 1979 | Meet Jesus Music, After the Fire, Cliff Richard, Bryn Haworth, The Fat Band, Randy Stonehill, Larry Norman, John Gladwin, Roy Castle, Margaret Winfield, Chris Aston, Martin Hallett |
| Odell Castle | ||
| GB07 | August 1980 | Adrian Snell, Famous Names, Larry Norman, Jessy Dixon, Just The Job, Jerusalem, David Porter, Nigel Goodwin, Simon Jenkins, Geoffrey Stevenson |
| Odell Castle | ||
| GB08 | August 1981 | U2, Barry McGuire, Joe English Band featuring Bonnie Bramlett, Cliff Richard,Rick Parfitt, Phil Everly Mike Reid, Garth Hewitt and Network 3, Randy Stonehill, Jerusalem, Norman Barrett, Sheila Walsh, Mark Williamson, 100% Proof, Paul Field, Roger Sainsbury, Stephen Timms, Ron Sider, Jim Punton, David Watson |
| Odell Castle | ||
| GB09 | August 1982 | Noel Paul Stookey, Bryn Haworth, Adrian Snell, The Barratt Band, Rez Band, Servant, Andy Pratt, Talking Drums, Paradise, Maxine and the Majestics, Roger Forster, Calvin Seerveld, Jim Wallis, Patrick Sookhdeo |
| Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire | ||
| GB10 | August 1983 | 100% Proof, Cliff Richard, Jessy Dixon, Mighty Clouds of Joy |
| Knebworth Park | ||
| GB11 | 22 - 27 August 1984 | Garth Hewitt, The Larry Norman Band, Philip Bailey, Sheila Walsh |
| Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire | ||
| GB12 | August 1985 | Jerusalem, Deniece Williams, Philip Bailey, Steve Taylor |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| GB13 | August 1986 | Bryn Haworth, David Grant, Deniece Williams, Fat Band |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| GB14 | August 1987 | The Alarm |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| GB15 | August 1988 | Martyn Joseph, Cliff Richard, Amy Grant, Runrig |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| The Fifteen Year Special | ||
| GB16 | August 1989 | Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Labi Siffre, Chagall Guevara, Fat 'n' Frantic, Eden Burning, Gary Hall and the Stormkeepers, Maggi Dawn, Sublime, Wobegone, Peter Case, Bruce Cockburn, One Bad Pig, Seventh Angel, Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| Art and Soul | ||
| GB17 | 23 - 27 August 1990 | Runrig, The Call, Deacon Blue, Russ Taff |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| Rumours of Glory | ||
| GB18 | 22 - 26 August 1991 | Galactic Cowboys, Chagall Guevara, Steve Harley, Sounds of Blackness, Amy Grant, River City People, Steeleye Span, Tintagel |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| Wrestling with Angels | ||
| GB19 | 27 - 31 August 1992 | Nine O'Clock Service, Runrig, Bob Geldof and the Happy Clubsters, Martyn Joseph |
| Castle Ashby | ||
| Journeys of the heart | ||
| GB20 | 26 - 30 August 1993 | T-Bone, The Prayer Chain, Magnum, James Taylor Quartet, Incognito, Herbie Armstrong, D-Influence, Iain Archer, Victoria Williams, Tom Sine, James Jones, Tom Wright, Gerard Hughes, Pete Ward, Stewart Henderson, Nigel Forde, Tom Robinson, Samantha Fox |
| Deene Park, Northamptonshire | ||
| Field of Dreams | ||
| GB21 | 25 - 29 August 1994 | Powerhouse Choir, The Proclaimers, Steve Taylor, Midnight Oil |
| Deene Park | ||
| Roots, Rhythm and Redemption | ||
| GB22 | 24 - 28 August 1995 | Moby, Corduroy, Credit to the Nation, Disraeli Gears, Doo the Moog, Pray For Rain, Newsboys, Quick and the Dead, Frank Chikane, Gustavo Parajon, Dave Tomlinson, Lavinia Byrne, Jo Ind, Joy Carroll |
| Deene Park | ||
| Can these dry bones dance? | ||
| GB23 | 22 - 26 August 1996 | Dakoda Motor Co., Steven Curtis Chapman, Ricky Ross, Moby |
| Deene Park | ||
| Windows on wild heaven | ||
| GB24 | 21 - 25 August 1997 | Vigilantes of Love, Lamb, Iona, Sneaker Pimps |
| Deene Park | ||
| Divine Comedy | ||
| GB25 | 27 - 31 August 1998 | All Star United, Carleen Anderson, Delirious?, Fat and Frantic |
| Deene Park | ||
| The last of its kind | ||
| GB26 | 29 July - 1 August 1999 | Bruce Cockburn, Vigilantes of Love, Blind Boys of Alabama, Asian Dub Foundation, Martyn Joseph |
| Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire | ||
| Deeper and Wider | ||
| GB27 | 25 - 28 August 2000 | Phatfish, Dum Dums, Joan Armatrading, Mal Pope, Tom Robinson with Martyn Joseph |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| heaven@earth.com | ||
| GB28 | 24 - 27 August 2001 | Vigilantes of Love, Dum Dums, Eddi Reader, Courtney Pine |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Eternal Echoes | ||
| GB29 | 23 - 26 August 2002 | Over the Rhine, Jazz Jamaica, Delirious?, Faith Folk & Anarchy |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Kiss of Life | ||
| GB30 | 22 - 25 August 2003 | Kate Rusby, Umoja, The Tribe, Billy Bragg |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Diving for Pearls | ||
| GB31 | 27 - 30 August 2004 | Lambchop, Delirious?, Denys Baptiste, Jamelia |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Freedom Bound | ||
| GB32 | 26 - 29 August 2005 | Iain Archer, Estelle, The Proclaimers, Jazz Jamaica |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Tree of Life | ||
| GB33 | 25 - 28 August 2006 | Maria McKee, Daniel Bedingfield, My Morning Jacket, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Dave Andrews |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Redemption Songs | ||
| GB34 | 24 - 27 August 2007 | Billy Bragg, Kanda Bongo Man, Coldcut, John Tavener, Delirious?, Rebecca Worthley, Duke Special, Denison Witmer |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Heaven in Ordinary | ||
| GB35 | 22 - 25 August 2008 | (tba) |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | ||
| Rising Sun |
[edit] External links
- Greenbelt official site
- Cross Rhythms reviews of music at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 festivals
- Photos of Greenbelt 2007 from BBC Gloucestershire
