Welcome to Echoes of Eternity: Stroud Sacred Music Festival | 3 - 5 July 2026
Imagine a multi-genre, multi-cultural, multi-artform performance shape-shifting into spiritual awakening, and you begin to glimpse the main event of the Stroud Sacred Music Festival 2026.
Locally-based, transnational artists bring music, singing and spoken word from J.S. Bach to Arvo Pärt, T.S. Eliot, entwined with Georgian and Moroccan sources.
Prepare to welcome:
Cassie Yukawa McBurney
Simon McBurney
The Acapellies choir
Chloe Rose Laing
Mohamed Errebbaa & Tagna Groove
Let them draw you into the eye of the storm of life, to sheer silence - a silence which is itself alive with Echoes of Eternity: the still point of the turning world.
There, where the dance is.
Prices are shown where applicable.
Standard (Supporter / Concessions)
Supporter tickets contribute to the work of Stroud Sacred Music Festival.
Concessions available to: 18 or under; low income.
There are a small number of free tickets available to refugees, asylum seekers, and those with social prescribing. Please contact kate.jackel@stroudparishchurches for more info.
Friday 3 July
SHAPENOTE SESSION | Sacred Harp Singing
Join in with singing from The Sacred Harp - folk hymns in the American shapenote tradition, sung in bold 4-part harmony.
Originally from the USA this form of collective praise singing in churches and family groups grew popular through the 1800s. The Sacred Harp is the most commonly used collection of 590 shapenote tunes, so called because of the simplified notation. Typically sung without a conductor, it is inclusive community singing, characterised by using the full voice, exuberantly and unapologetically.
You don’t need to be a Christian to join in – many singers are not – and it is not a performance. Many find deep meaning and emotion in the words, touxhing on death, friendship, sorrow, togetherness, hope, God and the rhythms of nature.
ABOUT THE GROUP
The Stroud group meets on the first Friday evening of each month. Sacred Harp singing is always free of charge and open to all. This is not a choir and is not a rehearsal or performance. Despite singing hymns with very religious words, this is not a public act of worship.
Baptist Hall, Union Street | 5.30pm - 7.30pm | FREE
SACRED BASS | JOICEY DJ Collective
Joicey DJ Collective girls bring the deep, meditative pulses of Roots Reggae and Dub, before shifting gears into the high-energy, uplifting rhythms of Jungle and Drum n Bass. Expect positive messages, soul-stirring low-end, and a dance floor fuelled by unity. Join us to celebrate the opening of Stroud’s most soulful festival. 16+
ABOUT THE DJS
Joicey DJ Collective members Belle, Leila, Acid Bloom, Eloise, Kaia and Spinstress are on the decks. Joicey is an SVA (Stroud Valley Arts) led project that provides DJ skills, training and peer to peer support for women and transgender people in Stroud.
www.sva.org.uk/joice-collective
St Laurence Church | 7.30pm - 11pm | £8 (£10/£5)
Saturday 4 July Daytime
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
A gathering for silent prayer, readings, meditation, reflection and conversation.
St Laurence Lady Chapel | 9.30am - 10.15am | FREE
CHANT SPACE | Universal Kirtan Special
Uplifting shared singing and conscious music featuring Indian kirtan woven through with multifaith chant and song. Featuring: London-based Sulekh Ruparell - traditional Hindustani style kirtan singer and virtuoso harmonium player; the Lucid Bhajans from Bristol, offering traditional and original songs, woven with mantra; beloved local kirtan leader, Sion Jones; and Rev Simon Howell - our inimitable pioneer vicar, a multifaith champion and wonderful sacred music exponent.
St Laurence Church | 10.30am - 1.30pm | £12 (£15/£10)
Saturday 4 July Evening MAINSTAGE : THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD
TOWARDS SILENCE | Cassie Yukawa-McBurney & Simon McBurney
An immersive work across music, theatre and space.
Towards Silence is a live work for piano, voice and silence, unfolding as a shared field within the church. Music and spoken word emerge and dissolve into one another, guiding the listener toward a centre of stillness - a place where sound, language and presence meet. Rooted in attention and embodied listening, the work opens a quiet, collective encounter with the sacred. In the words of Arvo Pärt: “I could compare my music to white light which contains all colours… this prism could be the spirit of the listener.”
A gathering for silent prayer, readings, meditation, reflection and conversation.
TRADITIONAL GEORGIAN SONGS | Eleanor Holliday and the Acapellies Choir
A capella (unaccompanied) polyphonic singing can have a profound effect on both the singers and the receivers of the sound. The Acapellies Choir create an immersive, resonant soundscape, rather like bathing in pure human sound with loving, present, un-amplified voices. The pre-Christian and orthodox harmonies arise from a deep bond with the earth, and can connect us at an instinctive level, especially if eyes are closed. Skilful dynamics make use of the variety of vocal tones in the choir, to weave harmonies and dissonances that move the soul and vibrate the cells of our bodies.
Eleanor Holliday has been running choirs and teaching sung and spoken voice for the past 25 years. Her inclusive approach ensures her groups are accessible and affordable. Increasingly recognised for their unique gifts and skills, Eleanor and her Acapellies Choir have received arts funding and are often invited to sing at special events in the UK. “I see singing as a direct way to balance the “madness” of the world through generous song,” she says.
www.eleanorholliday.uk
CHLOË ROSE LAING / MOHAMED ERREBBAA & TAGNA GROOVE
Original music by Chloë Rose Laing, followed by the Mohamed Errebbaa & Tagna Groove full band.
An evening of global music that will see intensity, power chords and stories of arrival and departure. This performance will harness the deep trance power of the Gnawa repertoire and showcase new material, bringing elements of desert blues and heavy groove to lift the spirits and dance.
Chloë Rose is a vocalist & songwriter based in Bristol UK. Her vocal style is a blend of sultry R & B tones and the resounding emotive power of reggae’s message-driven melodies. Singing truth to power is her spiritual and political message, with a driving purpose to galvanise humanity to heal and uplift the spirit. Her music bridges past to present richly harmonising Neo-Soul and the spiritual depth of Reggae with intricate Afro Gnawa rhythms played on the bass Guembri.
Passionate about sounds of the African diaspora, for over 15 years Chloë has explored musical collaborations in the UK and Morocco. In 2026 Chloë brings us her debut 11-track multi-genre album ‘Blazing Fire.’
Tagna Groove is a dynamic musical ensemble founded and led by Moroccan Maalem (master musician) Mohamed Errebbaa. Based in Bristol, UK, the group is renowned for its innovative fusion of traditional Gnawa music with contemporary genres such as funk, Afrobeat, blues, and jazz. This blend results in powerful performances that honour ancient traditions while engaging modern audiences. Mohamed Errebbaa’s efforts to bridge cultural divides brings the rich heritage of Gnawa music to new audiences, ensuring its relevance in the contemporary music landscape.
St Laurence Church | 7pm - 10pm | £20 (£25/£15)
Sunday 5th July Daytime
COWSHED SERVICE
Inclusive and contemplative worship, this service incorporates elements of a traditional communion service (including the breaking and sharing of freshly baked bread) and music from the Iona and Taizé communities. A Gospel reading is followed by 10 minutes of silence and additional readings from diverse religious traditions, both Western and Eastern.
Inspired in part by the pioneering inter-faith work of Bede Griffiths. Liturgy initially written by Eric Pyecroft in the late 1980s, for use in an unofficial chapel converted from an old stone cowshed.
St Laurence Church | 9.30am - 10.30am | FREE
JOYFUL NOISE | Pearl Legay-Clarke and Tara Mexis
Joyful Noise is a playful, inclusive singing workshop. Through simple, uplifting songs taught by ear, they create a space full of connection, creativity and fun. Expect circle singing, rhythm, movement and plenty of laughter, with songs that are easy to pick up and sing together. The session is designed for all ages, with a special welcome to families and children. Singing together builds confidence, strengthens community and lifts the spirit. Children under 13 should be accompanied by an adult.
Pearl Legay-Clarke and Tara Mexis are experienced community musicians passionate about bringing people together through song. With backgrounds in folk traditions, circle singing and participatory music, they create warm, inclusive spaces where everyone can join in. Their work focuses on connection, creativity and making music accessible to all, regardless of experience.
St Laurence Church | 11.30am - 1.230pm | £5 (or 4 for £15)
STILL ART by CLAY SINCLAIR | Thursday 2nd July & Throughout the Festival
We are delighted to host a selection of paintings by Clay Sinclair for the duration of the festival. In an era defined by the frantic pace of digital consumption and the fleeting nature of the “scroll,” Clay Sinclair offers a deliberate pause. It is a declaration of presence in a world of ephemeral content: despite the noise of the modern age, this is still art. Viewing times around the festival events.
OPEN VIEW | THURSDAY 2 JULY | 12PM - 5PM |FREE
A Reflective Journey: Q&A with Clay Sinclair | THURSDAY 2 JULY | 6PM - 7PM |FREE
Exploring his journey from Pop Art to his latest ‘Void’ series and how it reflects his own spiritual path.
