Festival Gospel en Bray — Gospel and sacred music encounters in the Pays de Bray

A gospel festival born in the Norman Pays de Bray

In 2009, the association Trait d'Union Gournay launched the first Festival Gospel en Bray with a clear ambition: to make gospel music resonate in the countryside of Pays de Bray, a rural area in the northeast of Seine-Maritime. This cultural bet, unusual in a region better known for its Neufchâtel cheeses than its spirituals, has proven to be a remarkable success.

Sixteen editions later, the festival has become a major event in the Norman music scene and one of the few festivals entirely dedicated to gospel in France. Its roots in the Pays de Bray, between the spa towns of Forges-les-Eaux and the market town of Gournay-en-Bray, give it a unique identity, at the crossroads of Norman rurality and the universality of gospel music.

A prestigious and accessible program

The Festival Gospel en Bray stands out for the quality of its programming, which brings together internationally renowned artists and regional ensembles each year. Over the editions, the festival has hosted living legends of gospel such as The Golden Gate Quartet, who celebrated their 90th anniversary in Forges-les-Eaux during the 15th edition, organist Rhoda Scott, Cameroonian singer Emmanuel Pi Djob, gospel man Max Zita, and French singer Chimène Badi.

Each edition offers a rich program spanning several weeks in November: concerts in the halls of Forges-les-Eaux and Gournay-en-Bray, masterclasses open to amateur choristers, conferences on the history of gospel and African-American music, thematic exhibitions, and participatory concerts bringing together the "Gospel en Bray" choir and invited artists.

A festival rooted in its territory

The originality of the Festival Gospel en Bray also lies in its territorial anchoring. The event takes place in two main venues: the Espace de Forges in Forges-les-Eaux and the Gymnase de l'Aulnaie in Gournay-en-Bray, with complementary events in other towns in the Pays de Bray. This local touring allows it to reach a large and diverse audience, from gospel enthusiasts to curious visitors passing through the region.

The association Trait d'Union Gournay also runs a gospel choir throughout the year, which performs at the festival, creating a living link between professional artists and local amateur practice. The masterclasses offered during the festival allow choristers to work with the invited artists, in a spirit of transmission and sharing that is at the heart of the gospel tradition.