Belters all-women a capella choir are proud to announce the release of their recording of “A Star Called Peace”. All proceeds will go to Emmanuel House, supporting people in Nottingham who are homeless.
Belters Choir are an all-women group of a capella singers with a repertoire of soulful music: from the Polyphonic harmonies of Eastern Europe, to obscure English folk music, to traditional and African American gospel. We are united by our love of music and singing together. We seek to organise and perform in special places in Nottingham to raise money for important issues.
THE SONG – A STAR CALLED PEACE
The song was written by Rachel Foster (Choir Director and arrangement), Ruth Hobson (Lyricist and Poet) and Paul Deats (piano).
Stars remain a potent symbol of Christmas – they guide us, shed light, are mysterious and yet they connect us as we all look up to the same sky.
Christmas these days means a lot of different things to people of all faiths and none. But there remains a unifying tradition which is based on stories, memories, symbols, and hope for the future at the turn of the year. Many people enjoy singing and listening to carols. Rachel and Ruth wondered if it would be possible to write ‘a secular carol’, a carol for everybody, whose words and melody evoked the tradition while not being religious. They thought of stars because they remain a potent symbol of Christmas – they guide us, shed light, are mysterious and yet they connect us as we all look up to the same sky. ‘A Star Called Peace’ was the result.
HOW TO LISTEN TO THE SONG AND SUPPORT EMMANUEL HOUSE
Visit Emmanuel House on Bandcamp ‘A Star Called Peace’ for unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
LIVE CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF THE SONG
This song will be performed LIVE, accompanied by Sir Dennis Rollins MBE on Trombone and Paul Deats from Peggy’s Skylight on Piano, at Belter’s annual Christmas concert, St Marys Church High Pavement Nottingham on Monday 15th December at 19.00 (doors at 18.30). All proceeds from this concert will go to Emmanuel House. Tickets available in advance via EventBrite and on the door.
SONG LYRICS A Star Called Peace Foster/Hobson 2024
Lost – stars, hide their light from the street, we look up to an empty sky,
There’s no-one there to hear our cry,
Where are you now, as midnight chimes?
One star answers, faintly, like a dream
All through the street this tiny beam
Sending light into the darkest place
Where forgotten lives are waiting
Are you watching, can you see
Or is this star shining just for me?
We raise our eyes up to the Sky
New stars, slowly light up the sky
Now we see each other’s faces,
Searching out forgotten places
Here come the stars for our troubled times
All stars blazing, calling out their names
Those asleep on the street wake to the sound
While gathering strength and gathering light, Overcoming endless night
We stand together, lost and found
for a star called justice a star called peace.
BIOGRAPHIES OF SONG WRITERS AND COMPOSERS
Rachel Foster
Singer/Songwriter/Director of Belters Choir and Peggy’s Skylight
As a published artist, Rachel spent some time touring in the US gaining her a Billboard dance chart position No 1 and a National Billboard chart position no 3 respectively with her project Weekend Players alongside Andy Cato of Groove Armada. She has collaborated with DJ’s Digs & Woosh (DIY), Crazy P, Kamal Joory (Berkane Sol), Pablo, Mark Hill (Artful Dodger) Parrot (All Seeing Eye) and guest-starred with Reuben Wilson and The Three Deuces. She has toured Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey and Europe with Bent, The Shod Collective, Promise (Boogieback Records) and more.
Rachel is firmly rooted at home in Nottingham with the loves of her life; family, jazz, and Paul Deats (Me & Mr Jones) with whom she is partner, co-founder and director of Peggy’s Skylight; an award winning live Jazz venue in the heart of Nottingham.
Ruth Hobson
Ruth Hobson was born in Nottingham in 1951 and has spent most of her working life in the voluntary sector, including Emmanuel House Support Centre. As Ruth Shelton she co-authored ‘Making Nothing Happen – 5 Poets Explore Faith and Spirituality’ Ashgate, London, 2014. Her first full-length poetry collection, ‘Arthur Talks’, Palewell Press, was published in 2019 and a pamphlet of Christmas poems, ‘Starwise’ was published by Palewell Press in autumn 2023. She loves writing song lyrics and looks forward to further collaborations with Rachel and the wonderful Belters.
Paul Deats
Pianist and Director of Peggy’s Skylight
A much sought after player and musical collaborator, touring the UK extensively with Brian Corbet, Allan Barnes, Sir Dennis Rollins and Me & Mr Jones. He founded Peggy’s Skylight with his partner Rachel Foster in 2018 which has gone on to win many awards including the much prized ‘All Party Parliamentary Jazz Award’ for the best venue in the UK.
