Our music review of BIG CHURCH DAY OUT, Wiston House, 24th-25th May 2014

FAITH CHILD - UCB Stage - 1.45pm
There was an embarrassing moment in '80s music history when Christian record companies put out albums exhorting Christians to get fit with titles like 'Aerobic Celebration' and 'Firm Believer' as they jigged around to Amy Grant, the Imperials, et al. Things have thankfully moved on though as the performance of London-based hip-hop artist Faith Child showed, the desire work an audience into a state of sweaty exhaustion has still not disappeared. With his endless calls to "jump, jump, jump" and engage in overhead clapping, Faith Child ensured that the crowd worked almost as hard as he did though I noted that the couple walking on stilts through the crowd weren't dancing! Backed by keys, drums, bass and backing tracks, the emcee's high octane flow on songs taken from his 'Illumination' album kept us on our toes while his rapid delivery was even able to take in the word "supercalifragilistic" in one song. A particular standout was the Cross Rhythms turntable hit "I Life It" and after talking about the power of prayer he went into one of the few slower songs, "Our Father". At the close as he exhorted us once more to put our hands in the air, I left the area happy but exhausted.
Maxine Cummings

All Sons & Daughters

ALL SONS & DAUGHTERS - Mainstage - 2.25pm
One doesn't expect a worship duo to bear the name All Sons And Daughters but few can argue that David Leonard on keys and vocals and the radiant Leslie Jordan providing acoustic guitar and vocals have creatively delivered some poignant Americana into the spreading modern worship arena. This was their first visit to the UK for the Franklin, Tennessee twosome and with an excellent support band and a wonderfully understated approach their wistful music seemed blown by the Holy Spirit. They opened with "Oh How I Need You" - "Lord I find you in the seeking/Lord I find you in the doubt/And to know you is to love you/And to know so little else/I need you, oh how I need you," Leonard and Jordan harmonising in a joy-filled duet. "Rising Son" followed, another original number with a moving Celtic-type spiritual message - "Praise him all you sinners/Sing, oh sing, you weary/Oh praise him all you children of God," ably supported by a short-neck lap slide guitar. "Rising Sun" was similarly worshipful. Fine music and spiritual sensitivity from a group demonstrating that you don't need power chords and stadium rock bombast to lead a congregation into the presence of God.
Dr A T Bradford

J VESSEL - UCB Stage - 2.45pm
The young London-based emcee performed his new single "Amazing Love" to a small but appreciative crowd at the UCB Stage. Another song which got a good response was "I Am A Vessel" performed in his hardcore style of hip-hop worship. Slowly the crowd got bigger, clearly enjoying his music and the sunshine too.
Andrzej Iwanowski

LZ7 - Mainstage - 3.45pm
It now seems many years since Lindz West stepped away from The Tribe and since the formation of LZ7 he has consistently demonstrated his ability to move with the urban music times. So as his set demonstrated here, there's a lot of dubstep rhythms knowingly blended with hard hip-hop and with his renowned perpetual-motion-machine onstage persona he and his bandmates make for one of the most exciting experiences on the UK scene. The huge throng were drawn to near delirium with numbers like songs "Ditto", "Beautiful Exchange" and "Who Ever Said" and by the time Guvna B stepped onto the stage to join Lindz for a song, the atmosphere was even hotter than the sunshine, by now beating down on the Mainstage proceedings. A band full of big sounds and big beats who retain all their excitement about following Jesus Christ.
Andrzej Iwanowski

EMPIRE NATION - UCB Stage - 3.45pm
Empire Nation returned to BCDO for the second time, performing material from their album 'Closer'. They played favourites from other artists too, opening with a direct version of Parachute Band's "My Constant" enlivened further by a megaphone assisted vocal before powering into the Delirious? classic "Rain Down" complete with a fine bass guitar line from Sam Greene. Third-up was Empire Nation's own "Starlight" ("You opened my eyes to see/You shine brighter than starlight") led by Ed Bird on acoustic guitar, before another number from 'Closer', "You Are The River", featuring strong percussion from drummer Matt Edbrooke and a lyric to match ("God you are the only one that we can put our hope and trust in"). The show's standout was Ed Bird's "You're Not Alone" with a strong bass drum line combining nicely with Sam Dransfield's electric guitar. After Martin Smith's "Fire Never Sleeps" and Bethel's "Furious" the set closed with another original, "Shine" which had the crowd jumping in praise to the sound of Bird's dancing acoustic guitar. A good set.
Dr A T Bradford

Newsboys

NEWSBOYS - Mainstage - 4.25pm
One of CCM's biggest brands, down the years many fine musicians have paid their dues in the gruelling touring and recording trek of the Newsboys. Many pundits suggested that with the departure of Peter Furler the band would finally begin to fade. But to everyone's amazement the addition of new lead singer African American Michael Tait has seen the band enjoying some of their biggest ever hits. The crowd was massive in expectation of the Newsboys' first UK concert with the new lineup and from the moment that Michael Tait resplendent in white jacket led the charge into "Born Again" it was clear these road hardened veterans had lost none of their dazzling pop rock energy. Michael's voice rang out loud as he sang "This is what it is, this is who I am/This is where I finally take my stand," serenading the band members with "I met the one with the two scarred hands." "Restart" featured a Devo-like vocal -"'I was lost I was falling apart/You came along, you hit the restart," before Jody Davis' blistering electric guitar on "Fishers Of Men" accompanied a muscular performance on drums from Duncan Phillips, more than compensating for the absence of a bass guitar. Jeff Frankenstein's keys and synth lit up "That's How You Change The World". Tait says, when asked "What drives Newsboys?" - "We believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit," and demonstrated the power of the sung creed with "We Believe". Daniel Bashta's worship classic "Like A Lion" closed the set, the crowd dancing with volleyball style balloons, before a final bow and Phillips' drum sticks were thrown into the audience. If you want no-holds-barred performance, Newsboys are the band for you.
Dr A T Bradford

ALL SONS & DAUGHTERS - UCB Tea Tent - 5.20pm
The Tea Tent at BCDO provides a sedate village-lawn ambience, warmly complemented by two of the most anointed voices at the festival, and pretty much the only female vocal lead in Leslie Jordan. Jordan sings and plays like a Christian version of Joni Mitchell in her younger days, but with more of a country lilt and warmth and energy that speaks of hours before the throne. This set was a duet with co-vocalist and keyboardist David Leonard, with an extended repertoire encompassing Michael W Smith's "Christ Be All Around Me" ("Your life, your death, your blood was shed/For every moment") and an almost tangible interface with Messiah, before the duo launched into their own "Dawn To Dusk" ("Tomorrow's freedom is today's surrender/We come before you to lay our burdens down/We look to you as our hearts remember/You are the only God"). The truth continued in word and melody with "I Am Set Free". Leonard played some mature keys while demonstrating exquisite vocal timing in duet and harmonies on "Great Are You Lord". With All Sons & Daughters, worship meets performance and worship triumphs.
Dr A T Bradford

THE CHAOS CURB COLLABORATION - UCB Stage - 5.45pm
Down the years Dave Griffiths has been a faithful journeyman for Christian music ministry and now with his aggregation the Chaos Curb Collaboration, he and his fellow musicians played a tight set of Brit pop inspired worship with one or two prog-style embellishments recalling the glories of Griffiths' old band Bosh. Outstanding were the songs "Watch Me Burn" and "There Is Healing" and while there was only a small crowd, they appreciated the power and passion of Griffiths' vocals and the invention of the rest of the band.
Andrzej Iwanowski

NOEL ROBINSON - UCB Stage - 6.45pm
Noel has, of course, done more than any other figure in the UK in building a bridge between the white majority participants of modern worship and the black majority gospel churches. At the UCB Stage a largish crowd enjoyed the set played with relish by Noel's tight ensemble of instrumentalists and quality gospel vocalists. Songs which warmed the crowd included "Our God Is Great", "We Cry Hosanna" and "I Am Devoted" from his latest album 'Devoted'. Joyful music joyfully performed.
Andrzej Iwanowski

FRED HAMMOND - Mainstage - 7.45pm
Even with the recent loss of 80 pounds in weight Fred Hammond is still larger than life and his singing voice is even larger. "You Are My Daily Bread" was delivered with gusto as he emoted the lines in Luther Vandross-style, almost preaching as he fixed the audience with his gaze, delivering one-liners, index finger emphasising as he tells out the gospel story with "Celebrate (He Lives)". He was well-supported by a black gospel band backing up the gaps between his lines with 3 supporting singer/dancers. Fred is still recovering from a double knee replacement and is walking with the help of sticks, but his vocals are still full of the old soul power as he sat, perched on a stool, his rich baritone soaring on "Lord How I Love You" and his invitation to commit situations that need change to the Lord with a few worshipful words - "You are worthy." There was soulful lead guitar accompaniment to "Praise Belongs To You" - 'Holy holy are you Lord God Almighty', and leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of "Hallelujah, For The Lord God Almighty Reigns" and "How Great Is Our God", before an 'old-fashioned-down-South' version of "When the Spirit of the Lord is upon me I will dance like David danced." This was Hammond in recovery from surgery - watch out when he is back to full strength.
Dr A T Bradford

Jason Upton

JASON UPTON - UCB Tea Tent - 7.45pm
There are few musicians prepared to take the musical chances that prophet/worship leader Jason Upton takes. Risking everything he is prepared to sing out phrases and words as the Spirit leads, trusting that God will provide more so that these Spirit-breathed fragments become fully orbed songs. With a strong, powerful voice, he captured the audience with songs old, new and instantaneous while in between he told us stories of faith, loss and healing with all the ease of an armchair storyteller. He and his fine band, always ready to go where Jason led, kept the full Tea Tent crowd attentive and spiritually warmed right to the end.
Andrzej Iwanowski

MATT REDMAN - Mainstage - 9.10pm
Matt Redman has come a long way since he made his first recording under the name of Matt Redman-Jones. His growth to become an internationally renowned songwriter and worship leader has not affected his easy-going and relaxed persona and with a band, a veritable stage-full with a light show to match, it was clear that we were in for a special time of worship. Opening with "Sing And Shout" ("What could be better than the grace that washes all our shame away/What could be better than your great love?") he then deftly steered his way into Phil Wickham's "This Is Amazing Grace". Then came his own "The Glory Of Our King" with a blistering supporting electric guitar. Matt's exhortation to "light up the night with praise - in honour of Jesus and preaching ourselves out of the places we are in" met with a huge roar of response from the crowd while his classic "You Never Let Go" was followed by "Mercy" accompanied by sensitive percussion and keys. Redman says that worship is the ultimate reality check - long live reality.
Dr A T Bradford