Racial Justice Sunday – Highlights Equity for African and Caribbean Songwriters Through SongShare

February 9th was Racial Justice Sunday (RSJ), and a Special Edition 'Coat Of Many Colours' Spotify Playlist was curated and released to give people an opportunity to listen and share original worship and choral songs by British-born writers: we have chosen to include your repertoire.

RSJ organisers CTBI (Churches Together in Britain & Ireland) and CTE's (Churches Together in England) Racial Justice Group, two of the largest church networks, have collaborated with SONGSHARE to launch this exciting new initiative.

The innocuously titled SONGSHARE itself is a combination of an interactive designed online Database and offline 'movement of songs' through live events and other music programming. For the first time the songs of Caribbean and African writers will be proactively represented and promoted with the aim of systematically increasing the diversity of song type and styles available to congregations throughout the British Isles and beyond.

SONGSHARE's introductory website will be progressively scaled up to build the largest collection of audio, visual and downloadable resources of its kind – the first in 75 years of modern Christian British history.

How Can You Get Involved?

Following Racial Justice Sunday, we are encouraging songwriters and composers to join a special Zoom Session to learn how the SONGSHARE system will be proactively working in the promotion of your works. The date is scheduled for Thursday 20th February – 7.30-9.00pm GMT.

How Does the SongShare Database Work?

The SONGSHARE database will function by allowing Black Christian copyright owners to register and upload their selected works into a system that engages with worship leaders and other users who are looking for a choice of song(s): searches will be listed not only under an author's name but also key words; lyrics, chord sheets, multitrack are just a few of the tools; instructional, storyline and interview videos aimed to take away the reason of 'not being able to find' and use materials.

Furthermore, SONGSHARE will work with churches (in particular) to include these repertoires in song-driven events and programming. The scheduled meeting is for asking and answering questions.

The SONGSHARE initiative is led by British Gospel Music pioneer and visionary Juliet Fletcher. Juliet explains, "Colour and variety is a gift from our Heavenly Father – God. With a few exceptions that I can count on one hand, I have always wondered why the vibrant and powerful songs that are prevalent inside various Black Church denominations aren't popular beyond them. Even amongst the different strands of our Churches there seems to be some invisible inertia when sharing songs. It's odd that songs get in and are rehearsed and sung, but the songs of our churches don't get out. We need a visible, proactive system to counter whatever reasons lie behind this".

SONGSHARE will be linked to appropriate royalty collection agencies.

Juliet Fletcher – Founder/Director SongShare – Let The World Sing
An Online & Offline Movement Of Songs Marking 70+ Years of Music Making Especially by the British Christian Caribbean & African Diaspora