music. 14–15
Centaur
But I call them life songs. Just because you go to church you’re not alienated from life.’ We say amen to that.
Using the wonderful ambience of Centaur to the max, this year we’ve decided to present a couple of very special gigs each afternoon for you to savour, plus a one-off multimedia feast on Friday night.
20.05 Monday
Titus. Rock. Rock! Rock!! Titus promise to ‘rock your face off’. Now, I rather like my face. And yours is quite nice too. But let us put aside such churlish considerations, bite down hard on the Rock Sandwich, and Let The Rock Happen!
Fuse Factory. Fuse Factory, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, are an audio-visual band delivering a symphony in 3 dimensions. Multi-layered saturated video images, powerful and atmospheric electro beats and a feminine melodic voice are the components of the universe that invite total immersion, melting the boundaries between sounds, images, and vocals.
18.00 Monday
Fischy Music. Fischy Music will be bringing their wonderful sounds to the Children’s Festival with a set of songs chosen for the 4–11s. There will also be a performance for the older children, as well as a chance to take part in singing workshops – which will lead to those who want to be involved in the Fischy concert on Monday afternoon.
21.00 Friday
Courtney Pine.
15.30 Monday
Martyn Joseph. Cara Dillon. yfriday. Candi Staton.
No one better embodies the dramatic transformation in the British Jazz scene over the past 20 years than Courtney Pine. The saxophonist has headed a new generation of exciting and innovative musicians who have chosen to turn their talents to the demanding requirements of jazz music, in all its shapes and forms. A Gold Badge Award from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, an hour-long South Bank show and a score of best selling albums: all this would make a Courtney gig at Greenbelt a fine enough event in itself. But this is a performer with many more dimensions. Educational worskshops, compositions for the definitive BBC documentary on Mandela and the Windrush Gala: Courtney Pine is a man with a keen eye on the past, and a vision of a more just future. This is jazz as redemption song: a simple head, with endless, complex, wildly various improvisations. Welcome back Courtney Pine. We know it’s going to be a pleasure. 15.30 Saturday
Brian Houston. Championed by Radio 2’s veteran DJ Bob Harris, a solo artist spanning 10 years and producing six albums, Brian has supported the gurus of music: Van Morrison and Elvis Costello and rightly relishes the stage. Influenced by Bob Dylan, and even taking inspiration from Elvis Presley, Brian will keep you transfixed to the end with his passionate delivery of well-crafted songs and searing lyrics – songs that have been recorded by producers who have worked with such diverse artists as Mike and the Mechanics and Tanita Tikarum. Brian is just about to release Sugar Queen – his debut release in the UK market – on September 4th 2006. Mojo has given it a 4-star review and Uncut called him ‘a writer of considerable warmth and wit’. 14.00 Saturday
Randy Stonehill. With over 30 years in the business you’d think he might deserve some time off for good behaviour, but elder statesman of the US Christian music scene Randy Stonehill just keeps going – he’s recently brought out his 18th album, Edge of the World. One of the original Jesus Movement songwriters, considered too noisy for the church and too Christian for the mainstream, Stonehill’s 1976 debut Welcome to Paradise was a rootsy folk-rock affair. Enjoying a few career twists and turns he continues to keep audiences across the world entertained with his ‘honest lyrics of faith, struggle and hope’. Right on, brother. 15.00 Sunday