James Attlee met up with a bevy of British grassroots gospel acts. Alex Ramsay took the pictures.

"There aren't many gospel recording companies in England, and the ones that are there don't give British black gospel artists much of a break," maintains Robin.

"Jones and Co. got a deal with Chapel Lane, but I'm afraid there aren't many opportunities. Groups have been touring the UK for years, every weekend, tiring themselves out and never getting a break. I think the companies in question should send out talent scouts to some of the local concerts and see black gospel live, because to be truthful not everybody can afford to make demos and be knocking down the door all the time."

"The sad thing is," says Delroy, "that there are young people in the church with tremendous talent, who want to have a career in the music business, but because they can't get any support they're "selling out' and leaving gospel. When you think about it it's not their fault, because the world can look after their own talent and finance record production etc.

"On the other hand, in the church we have a great deal to sing about and a duty to spread the gospel on a grand scale, but where's the support?

"You can't put all your time into writing and composing if you have to go out and work to survive."

PAT & CO.

Pat and Co.

Pat and Co. are from Manchester and the story of their formation is one of the strangest in contemporary gospel. Group founder Pat Leach explained the link between sport and black gospel singing.

"Five years ago we all went on a youth exchange to Italy. The idea was to introduce parts of our culture into their culture - we were all netball players so we were doing that, and there was a few of us that could sing as well. Steeped in out West Indian culture is gospel singing, and all the great singers, the majority of them at least, stem from the churches. Our singing went down really well."

From the trip emerged the nucleus of four singers - lead singer Gloria McKenzie, Janet Ngawoofah, Pauline Fong-Lyewquee and Pat herself, that were to become the front line of Pat and Co.

"We never intended to continue as a group - that was our idea, but God had another. We know that now, but we fought it for a year or two - we'd only come together a couple of weeks before we were due to do something, but people began to see us as a group, and it was true our voices blended, that was the way it was. The thing that has kept our group together is firstly that it was never planned - the Lord definitely brought us together, I think we realise now we have a specific ministry in song.

The other element is that we are firm friends. We're not just together because we sing well and I think that's where a lot of groups go wrong - all they have basically is the voices, and the minute personalities clash or something goes wrong it all falls like a pack of cards because there is nothing solid there.

"We look at every venue as an opportunity the Lord has given us to minister in song. One of the things we asked the Lord at the beginning of the year was to give us new venues and for Him to choose them - we want to be strategically where the Lord wants us to be, so if it means we're not in the limelight that's alright. We just want to do whatever He wants us to do...it really sounds corny this, doesn't it, really soapy and horrible - but it's honestly the truth."

Which of your concert appearances would you say has been the most successful?

"We sang in Handsworth in Birmingham and it was a beautiful concert - most importantly people gave their hearts to the Lord. That was for me one of the best concerts I've ever done...the Spirit of the Lord was there, you could feel Him you know, and people were just surrendering their lives to the Lord. That to me is the essence of our singing - that's our message, we want to see people born into the kingdom, otherwise it's pointless."

DOROTHY ALLEN

Dorothy Allen

The name Dorothy Allen was introduced to many British gospel fans by her appearance on the Channel 4 series People Get Ready. Many who have caught her concert appearances around the country would claim that she is one of the most exciting gospel performers to emerge in this country over the last five years, yet she remains without a record contract, singing only part time. In 1990, to be a name on the gospel circuit is still to be a well-kept secret as far as a wider audience is concerned. Perhaps her inclusion in the first of the Gloria Gaynor gospel shows will do something to remedy this unjust neglect.