34 mins
Heart and Soul
photo credits: Derek Fett Photography
SO, there I was, strolling along the avenue on the hunt for fudge. There’s always fudge, somewhere, during Heart and Soul. The weather was good – not too hot, not too cold, and best of all – no rain!
Suddenly the air was split by the most glorious peal of bells – it was the Quarter Peal from St Cuthbert’s Church or Stage B to us seasoned Heart and Soul-ers.
I’ve been coming to Heart and Soul since it began and I’ve always meant to go and listen to the Quarter Peal but this time it came to me.
Fudge took a backseat as I just let myself listen to the fabulous sound. After the last chimes had disappeared into the air, to be replaced by wonderful birdsong, I felt that my day at Heart and Soul had properly started.
As always there was way too much to see and experience but I did my best.
The layout this year was different, and to my mfind worked much better. Instead of huge all-encompassing tents and marquees, the various departments and exhibitors were split into ‘vfillages’ of the main path, so you could wander round more freely without being jammed up in the main avenue. That made for a much freer experience and I think encouraged people to look more closely at what was on offer – and so much was on offer.
The Guild was there, Alpha was there, CrossReach, the Salvation Army, the Scottish Bible Society and EMMS International were all present.
But there were lots and lots of other organisations and groups who had come along to help celebrate the day. Buchan Presbytery had a tent, Godly Play Scotland, Feed The Mfinds, Oikocredit, Tearfund and Guernsey: St Andrew’s in the Grange were all there. And so many more.
One of the displays that particularly appealed to me was from the charity Fresh Start – it was simply a range of basic household items like lightbulbs, basins and wash up liquid laid out on a table. Seemed a bit random – but it turns out Fresh Start provide all these basic items for people who are just starting out, often after being homeless, when they get their first lat.
These are the little things that can make the difference between making your first few days in a new home a bit of a nightmare or something you can transition into with a little more ease.
I have to say the quality of the choirs and groups who sang on the Ross Bandstand was truly excellent. It would have been very easy just to spend the entire day sfitting watching the various performances, from a celebration of the 50 years of Women in the Ministry, to the Scripture Union Vocal Camp or the Resurrection Play: The Last Supper and all the bits in between.
Women and their impact on the Church was something of a theme this year (and why not?) and the video art installation, ‘Three Women’ by Bfill Viola was incredibly touching, moving and powerful all at the same time. The piece is at St Cuthbert’s Church until September 1.
One of the best innovations this year was the ‘In Conversation’ tent. Where previously some conversations had been on a small, open stage as you entered the main avenue, this year there was a dedicated tent with speakers being interviewed and boy oh boy, was it busy.
I thought for sure there must be free food there, judging by the crowds and queues no less, wfinding round the sides of the tent. But no, it was simply high-quality speakers saying really interesting things that appealed to many, many people on the day.
Speakers like Sally Magnusson talking about her books and charity ‘Playlist for Life’ that deals with dementia; Anna Magnusson talking with the Rev Dr Margaret Forrester about 50 years of women ministers (I think the Magnussons were maybe on a BOGOF deal – but worth every penny!) Ross Greer MSP talking with young person – National Youth Assembly Moderator, Robin Downie and young-atheart person, the Very Rev Dr Derek Browning about young people and faith. One of the interesting things that came out of the talk was how little the voices of young people are heard within churches all over the world – and yet how much they have to contribute.
The two Mods, outgoing Moderator of the General Assembly and NYA Moderator, Browning and Downie (sounds like a solicitor’s firm from a Dickens novel) spent parts of the previous Moderatorial year travelling together on trips to Rwanda, Israel and Jordan as well as Gaza, and other beleagured places in the region.
By all accounts it was a year spent with people forced into the depths of despair by the horrors around them, where they felt they had no hope left, and yet even as that despair was thick in the air like the smoke from shelling, there were seeds of not just hope but God working among a group of young women in Palestine who were using the auspices of their YWCA to help the young prepare for work with classes and help and working towards letting them have a future in the region.
“We were at a psychotherapy unit in Gaza where we watched young children of eight years old being taught how to laugh,” Dr Browning told the packed tent. “That is something that wfill never, ever leave me.”
I suspect it won’t leave those of us who were listening to the talk as well.
The sun came out along with the Lord High Commissioner, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry who walked along the avenue and took in some of the tents and exhibits. As always he had a very finely dressed Purse Bearer following him. It occurred to me that knowing my penchant for shopping, I could probably do with one of them myself – someone armed with a sword to defend the integrity of the ragged remains of my purse any time I spotted a new gadget that I just HAD to have…
One of the interesting things that came out of the talk was how little the voices of young people are heard within churches all over the world – and yet how much they have to contribute.
I was impressed as well with the folks from Fischy Music and was astonished to find out that they’ve been singing for 20 years!
That’s surely wrong – Suzanne looks almost exactly the same as when I interviewed them years ago! How they keep that energy up amazes me. Life can be so unfair…
The Heart and Soul Swing Band were playing to a packed house, or church I should say, in St Cuthbert’s and had them dancing in the aisles. I would have joined in but let’s face it, I look ridiculous when I dance and my kids weren’t there for me to embarrass, so that’s half the fun out the wfindow for a start.
I could go on – but there was just really too much to mention everything.
For me though, there was just one thing missing. Among all the singing, the smiling, the displays, the joy, the optimism.
I noticed it when I got home. I never did manage to track down that elusive fudge after all.
Images: Heart and Soul event 2018
This article appears in the July 2018 Issue of Life and Work
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