Ojos de Brujo again

After the Friday lunchtime Eucharist, and an hour's washing up in the tea room, Clare and I headed north to join Kath and Anto for another Ojos de Brujo concert in Warwick Uni Arts Centre. It's already two years, and another album published since their last visit there. It was yet again a marvellous experience of theatrically presented music - a mix of Spanish hip-hop, funk and flamenco. We spent most of the concert down the front by the stage, rhumba dancing joyously.

Clare noticed that apart from the large number of Spanish student fans present, there were a very significant number of 'silver surfers', the fifty plusses, out in force. Why? Quite simple really.

We bought our first Ojos de Brujo CD at the Malaga Airport shop, recommendation of the manager, the year I did a flamenco guitar course in Granada, autumn 2004., and we all became instant fans. A lot of older Brits must have made the same journey and tasted the thrill of innovation that their marvellous music represents.

When are they coming to Cardiff? I want to know

No so Low Sunday

It's rather disappointing self fulfilling prophecy that Low Sunday, the Octave of Easter, is traditionally presumed to be a low key affair in every sense, with a lower overall attendance as well. So it was with us, with half the number of people attending worship. However, this year there was an un-typical occasion that made the day a non-routine Sunday.

Martin Sheldon, Tredegarville Baptist Church's representative on the City Centre Churches Together committee, is a member of the Welsh Lib-Dems. A couple of months ago he asked if I would be willing to organise a short Sunday service for members of the Christian Lib-Dem group attending the annual Wales conference, this year being held in Cardiff.

The best time for this would be after breakfast, and before the first session of the morning. I thought it would be possible to fit in between the eight and ten o'clock Eucharists, and more likely to succeed in attracting worshippers than if they had to trek out of their conference venue (the Angel Hotel) and around to the church. I was right on that account, because the attendance of fifteen was the best they'd managed in the several years they've been organising a service.

I devised an ecumenical Service of the Word with suitably 'prophetic' scripture readings. These were delivered with both passion and understanding by the three people who'd volunteered to read. I got the impression that my brief homily on the potential of scripture to stimulate and challenge us to just and compassionate action was appreciated.

It's not an easy thing for people of faith in the secular world of politics to own up to these days, because of the fear of fundamentalism and literalism that distorts the perception and judgement of hearers. Yet, it's a point needing to be heard as an encouragement by those whose hearts are touched by remembered words and precepts received from within the tradition of faith. I was glad to be there for them, and honoured to be asked.

We had a splendid non-routine family lunch, due to a post-Easter birthday visit from Rhiannon and her parents, plus Uncle Owain. I received a belated birthday present from Kath and Anto, bought while they were in Spain - the latest album by 'Ojos de Brujo'. There was just enough time to download it on to my mp3 player to take with me on the bus to London, to meet up with my sister June for another excursion, this time to Bilbao in Spain, catching up on missed post-Christmas leave.