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One to One: Gospel and social change: Gillian Burke and Karen Gibson

20/09/2022

Gospel and social change: Gillian Burke and Karen Gibson

BBC Radio 4 - One to One, Gospel and social change: Gillian Burke and Karen Gibson

Gillian and Karen discuss singing as a force for social and political change.

Gillian Burke continues her exploration of Gospel Music.  She meets the conductor of the Kingdom Choir, Karen Gibson, to discuss singing as a force for social and political change.

In 2014 the biologist and presenter Gillian Burke joined a community choir in Falmouth in a bid to strengthen her voice. Singing is Gillian's passion and it's her way of switching off from work and the pressures of life.

In this third programme Gillian speaks to the conductor of The Kingdom Choir, Karen Gibson.  Karen grew up singing in church and Gospel groups, before graduating to the role of choir conductor on a BBC radio programme called The Gospel Train.  She was asked to perform on the 35th anniversary of 'Songs of Praise', and The Kingdom Choir was born.  In 2018 they stepped onto the global stage when they were invited to perform at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  

Gillian asks Karen about her route into Gospel music.  They discuss Gospel as a vehicle for hope, and whether there's any tension between performing faith-based music on a commercial stage.  And what, if anything, the environmental movement might learn from Gospel music's part in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.

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