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Good Weather Forecast found their home a long time ago. The three brothers Flo (vocals), Jonny (guitar) and Dave (drums) Stielper, as well as guitarist Titos Hailom formed a band 10 years ago and initially played a quirky style of music between pop and punk. A little later, current keyboard player Timo Kästner joined them. Things go well right away: after only a few months in the rehearsal room, the guys win the “Rock Without Limits” competition. They tour southern Germany and later they go all over Germany and Europe. To date, several hundred gigs in 15 countries and three continents are on their tally. With the new album “Superhumans”, they have completely redefined their sound. The catchy songs, intelligent lyrics and profound messages are reminiscent of Imagine Dragons, One Republic or Twenty One Pilots yet completely different.
But success is not really what Good Weather Forecast is all about. Besides their music career, they started a ministry in a high school. The five boys, all now fathers, are passionate musicians and passionate Christians. And that is exactly why Good Weather Forecast is still on the road. At mainstream rock festivals, in TV shows and on small club stages, as well as in hundreds of high schools around the world. Their energetic and thoroughly optimistic music is constantly evolving. However, the message of their songs has remained the same all these years. Through their music and live show, they aim to inspire people and give a glimpse of God’s
beauty and love visible.
Elle Limebear (UK) is a worship leader, songwriter and artist. She and her husband Tom, along with their children live in Brighton, England. She has been releasing her own music since 2018 and has written songs that have charted internationally. Spending a large part of her time travelling to serve churches all over the world, Elle is wholeheartedly passionate about seeing people find freedom in Christ.
Elle is the daughter of Martin Smith who was on our mainstage last year.
Since 2006, singer/songwriter Matthijn Buwalda has been on the road with his Dutch songs, and more and more people are discovering his music that can best be described as a mix between kleinkunst and Nederpop. Starting with performances in churches, he made the switch to the theatre in 2012. The result so far: five sold-out theatre tours and a fast-growing audience filling ever-expanding auditoriums. Musical collaborations with Stef Bos, Stephanie Struijk and Jan Smit, among others, show Matthijn’s versatility as a writer as well as a singer. He is one of the writers of the song ‘Dit pakt niemand ons meer af’, which was nominated for a Rembrandt Award in the category Best title song film. He also won the Buma cultuurprijs/Zilveren Duif award in the Best Song category in 2015.
Music brought them together and a shared vision in Christ, kept them together!
The vision of PE Live, ‘to bring the youth of a nation back to God through a musical experience’, was carried in the hearts of musically and diversely gifted friends with a strong desire for a change in the way gospel music is perceived by the youth of our generation. These friends set out to introduce the abundant variations in gospel music to Ghent and other Belgian cities.
In 2021, they became known throughout Belgium through their participation in Belgium’s got talent. Bart Peeters even gave them his Golden Buzzer because of their positive energy, fantastic harmonies and innovative approach to gospel.
Founded in 2013, Be Witness responds to Pope Francis’ call: “Dear young people, put your talent at the service of the Gospel”. Originally from Bordeaux, the young musicians are driven by their faith and passion. By developing a style of pop music, the group hopes to reach out to contemporary culture in order to proclaim Jesus to today’s world. “We want to be witnesses to Christ for our generation through our music and our songs of praise”.
Daniel Marx was born in 1983 in Belgium’s oldest city, Tongeren. He grew up in a Christian family. Music played a big role in his family. Already at a very young age, he accompanied church services at the piano. Singing became his great passion. He specialised in close harmony and backing vocals. Together with his family, he performed in Belgium and abroad.
Daniel married Elsbeth in 2012, and moved to the Netherlands. Because of the distance, it became a bit more difficult to sing often with his family. This did give him time to write his own songs.
In 2017, the first studio album was released: “Toon ons wie U bent” . For this, he collaborated with friends from Belgium. Barely one year later, he released his second studio album: “God van trouw”. Since summer 2018, Daniel has been playing regularly with four musician friends in various places in Belgium and the Netherlands.
With his music, he hopes that people get to know Jesus and may experience God as He is: “A faithful Father who is always there for us”, in whatever situation.
Timo Brandt is a singer songwriter from Dingden, a small village in Germany. People compare his music with ar sts like Passenger, Damien Rice, David Gray or Ben Howard. However, staying away from love songs, he aims at more of a spiritual inten on, seeking true life between the daily hurries, God and some kind of sense in everything.
Once invited in by his catchy guitar style, hit by his unique voice, you will soon recognize that that this guy is not messing around. He released his first official album “Grounded” in 2018 via Timezone Records. Last year Timo Brandt had lots of new songs to share since his new album “All I Need To Know” has been released in autumn 2023. The German magazine “Acous c Guitar”wrote about his new songs: “Again and again he succeeds in writing powerful but calm tunes and melodies, that one wants to sing along to without them being too intrusive.”
SOBI, the London-raised rising star known for her poignant lyrics and stirring melodies, released her debut album “Beloved Child” on 23 February 2024. This deeply personal album, which was largely written during the first months of her second son’s life, was recorded and produced in a fortnight in Berlin under the direction of Grammy-nominated producer Charlie McClean and Thomas Schöttl. The album is a testament to the importance of family and faith in SOBI’s life. Her family’s motto, “You are a beloved child of God”, serves as a leitmotif.
SOBI says: “Singing for my children and making music together is an important part of our family life. It therefore made sense to write songs for them to guide and comfort them as they navigate through life in this beautiful but sometimes hostile world.”
During the writing process, SOBI discovered that “Beloved Child” is not just an album for her children, but for everyone. With elements of folk, country and pop, the album crosses genres and speaks to the inner child in every listener. SOBI hopes that the music resonates with every listener and makes them feel loved, seen and cared for.
Without too many frills, the musicians of West Rim introduce themselves as “a folk group with siblings”. Yet there is something more to it: their songs sound lively, honest and optimistic. Soon you feel like humming or singing along. Their first album ‘Cross – a Story of Hope, Faith and Love’ became a narrative record: a mixture of folk and indie. The songs are often waltzes, jigs or mazurkas. Besides bass, guitar, trumpet & piano, a diatonic accordion and bagpipes occasionally set the tone. But really, you just have to hear them. Their first ever performance was at the ‘Festicert’, the forerunner of Art of Faith, but in the meantime they have been seen on numerous stages.
Like last year, we will also have a classical concert in the abbey on Saturday. Once again, we welcome La Chapelle Sauvage. This year they will perform a selection of the works of Rossini, Caccini, Massenet, Mascagni and Schubert led by Karel De Wilde and soprano Louise Kuyvenhoven from the Queen Elisabeth Chapel.
The Christian band Cross that Bridge was formed 4 years ago out of prayer. With own written songs, especially worship songs, and covers of other Christian artists, the band regularly organises praise evenings in Merelbeke. They also play and sing on demand on location. In the meantime, the two band members have written some 40 songs of their own and released several of them with a fitting video clip. In February and March, the duo toured Flanders for the very first time with an Easter programme. The band’s name betrays that its members like to build bridges: between different generations and the different Christian churches … Furthermore, evangelisation and church renewal (especially in the Catholic Church) are among their objectives. Cross that Bridge also participated in the Art of Faith Festival last year by, among other things, being part of the worship band during the Celebration on the last day, together with other musicians. This year, you can see them at work on Friday with their own repertoire on the small stage from 18h15 to 19h45.
More info: www.crossthatbridge.be
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