Britain's most heavily promoted black gospel singer LAVINE HUDSON, talks to James Attlee about her humble beginnings, exciting present and the tensions existing between rootsy church and glitzy showbiz.

Like all contemporary gospel artists, Lavine has taken her share of flak for shunning a more traditional gospel singer's repertoire.

The church feels I should be doing 'What A Friend I Have In Jesus' and 'Precious Lord' and I say I'll Do It In Church', but I'm not going to go out on a Joe Cocker slot and do a whole set like that There's nothing wrong with throwing one in, because I love 'Precious Lord...' But I'm not that kind of artist Even when I was really young and I wrote for the choir, it was always contemporary."

Lavine's choice to make a living as a single woman in the music business has also raised eyebrows among the community from which she has sprung.

"They're very protective towards their women and that's why I'm sort of a rebel, because I'm very independent and a lot of them don't like that They like to see you settled down - I always say 'I am settled, what makes you think I'm unsettled?' - with a husband and lads, being a housewife... Not me, I said 'I want a career, if you don't like it look the other way because I'm not changing.'"

Sometimes it's as if those outside the world of gospel music are as anxious as conservatives within it for gospel artists to conform to traditional stereotypes. Sadly, this often has as much to do with racist presuppositions as with musical preference. Lavine is understandably irate.

Tm tired of people associating gospel with a style. When 'Intervention' came out all the Press people expected me to come in wearing a long gown and I said 'no, gospel is to do with what I put into the song as a songwriter and a Christian, it's not just all about this" (clapping) "and tambourines and everything like that. Christianity takes you through every aspect of life, if s not just separated to a Sunday service."

Meanwhile the countdown to the release date of what could well be a make or break album ticks away and Lavine has just got around to reading the reviews of her first album - press cuttings about advance copies of' Between Two Worlds' will not be welcome for some time at the Hudson household. Nervous she may be, but Lavine Hudson is not short on ambition, and she is clearly proud of her latest recording, whatever the reservations of some of her gospel contemporaries.

"I hope that I've made a product that people will love and that they'll be taking out in 20, 30 years' time. That's what I' m looking for - I want my name to be around even after I'm gone."

Right now, all she needs is a little intervention.