Leading Christian artist, Stuart Townend was in concert in Kilkeel on 21st September when he played to an enthusiastic capacity audience in the Parish of Christ Church.
The event was jointly hosted with Kilkeel Presbyterian Church and was the fifth of eight dates on a Northern Ireland tour.
Stuart is known and respected around the world as one of the outstanding worship songwriters of his generation. Famous for songs such as In Christ alone, How deep the Father’s love, The power of the cross and Beautiful Saviour, some have drawn comparisons with greats such as Watts and Wesley. He has had very successful collaborations with Northern Ireland’s own Keith Getty, marrying great lyrics with accessible melodies and bridging different musical and cultural genres.
Accompanying Stuart were five other superb musicians, including one of the UK’s most respected jazz pianists, Mark Edwards. Matt Weeks played bass, Julian Ferraretto, violin, Bob McKay, sax, flutes and whistles and the drummer was Stuart’s son, Joseph. Mark and the band opened the concert with a stunning jazz arrangement of ‘Abide with Me’ which indicated just what a musical treat lay in store.
New material from the latest album, “The Journey”, featured heavily in a double set that also included refreshing new arrangements of some old favourites. And so we enjoyed violin, flute, accordion and banjo with a definite folk sound and plenty of reels! There was joy, reflection, intercession and inspiration – worship in all its facets, with everyone enthusiastically joining in.
Despite having often played in Northern Ireland it was the first time that Stuart, and indeed the whole band, had visited The Kingdom of Mourne. Their conclusion? Beautiful mountains, friendly people and the best (loudest) singers on the tour so far!