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Somewhere To Believe InA Greenbelt Podcast Author: Greenbelt Festivals
All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey... and were back for the second series of Somewhere To Believe In, a podcast by the people who bring you Greenbelt Festival.Each week well meet brilliant guests and chat to them about their life and work. We want to bring you timely, provocative and funny dollops of hopefulness, to keep us all going in these strange times. This time around were celebrating artists that we love and we know youll love them too. Well also be digging into our love of fields, festivals and communal gatherings remember those? and sharing some of the behind-the-scenes Greenbelt stuff. Importantly, too, we want to hear from YOU, whether youve danced in a field with us or not. Our plan is to release this second series of eight episodes in the run-up to Christmas with a new episode coming out each Friday. Weve called it Somewhere to Believe in, because maybe more than ever, we all need that right now. We really hope you like it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Arts, Music, Music Interviews, Performing Arts Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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In the Bleak Midwinter
Episode 2
Thursday, 15 December, 2022
This episode of Greenbelt’s ‘Somewhere To Believe In’ comes in the form of a one-off Christmas reflection; brought to you by our friend Beloved Sara Zaltash, a ‘non-denominational rabble-rouser and soul-soother for a world in crisis’. It was our pleasure to welcome Beloved Sara to Greenbelt for the first time this year, along with her heavenly spiritual chants and adaptation of the Islamic Call to Prayer. And now she’s back again, reflecting on Christmas, with personal stories of community, songs of hope and prayers of blessings. As Beloved Sara says, we hope ‘you gather around these sounds in warmth and with whatever is dear to you, and that these words shine a beacon of friendship into your Christmas season.’ This episode features strong language and references to drugs._Late this November, Greenbelt Festival’s Creative Director, Paul Northup, called me with a request to collaborate on something like a podcast, that wasn’t quite a podcast, to be shared with the Greenbelt community this Christmastime. I wish I could say that the first emotion I experienced was humility. I wish I was that saint! In truth, I was overwhelmed with giddy delight. Was I really being asked to share my thoughts, stories and songs with the Greenbelt community, that vital and gorgeous and exceptionally kind bunch of people that had won my heart this summer when I performed at the festival? In truth, it took a whole afternoon of pinching myself before the thrill of Paul’s request subsided, before I could settle into what was being asked of me. Did Greenbelters really want to hear more from me? What can I give them, poor as I am? As the start of Advent loomed, Paul and I realised that the task ahead was greater than the time available, and that we needed a different approach. Paul wondered about centering the not-exactly-a-podcast on my voice, seeing as it was my voice that had been received so kindly by Greenbelters at the festival. It was then that I remembered a piece of storytelling I had written for a guest slot at Sunday Assembly East End in December 2016 - a personal story, woven with song, that was Christmassy and yet not-exactly-Christmassy. This story is what we have chosen to share with you this year. Funnily enough, Sunday Assembly thought that the story was actually too Christian for their congregation. For me, this story abridges my whole life’s experience of sincere acceptance, inclusion and welcome into Christian community, regardless of how I have shown up. This story does not promote any specific belief or doctrine, except perhaps the belief in the redemptive power of song. That’s what we have to give you; we give our hearts. Thank you for all of the support and willingness offered by the Greenbelt team and not-quite-podcast contributors. Thank you especially to Abigail Maxwell, a Greenbelter and Quaker who provides us with a sobering prayer of blessing that we can hold alongside the gladness of the season. I pray that our offering greets you in the finest health, that you gather around these sounds in warmth and with whatever is dear to you, and that these words shine a beacon of friendship into your Christmas season.Yours ever, Your own, Beloved Sara Zaltash_00:00 - Introduction01:45 - In the bleak midwinter07:33 - A Christmas song10:04 - Eric16:16 - School28:10 - Merry Christmas28:37 - A prayer of blessing31:04 - ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ song Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
