Hillfest heals souls song by song, year by year
Jul. 23—NEW IPSWICH — For the first time in its six-year history, the Hillfest Worship Festival at Lord's Valley sold out four weeks before concert day, with 4,500 tickets snapped up by Christian music fans from as far away as Pennsylvania and Canada.
Families, friends and volunteers in lawn chairs and on blankets populated the hillside rain or shine on July 15 for a Christian music festival that began in 2017 as a fundraiser to build a church for Hope Fellowship, a small congregation in Jaffrey.
Hillfest's attendance has grown by 30% to 50% each year, said Chad Gibson of New Ipswich, the event's founder, who now serves on the board of directors of the National Christian Festival Association. Its growing popularity, he said, is both inspiring yet simple. Hillfest and a host of events like it help people tap into faith and reinvigorate their anchor in Christ, surrounded by like-minded souls.
"People want to come back and they bring some friends with them," said Dan Bruno, a volunteer who drives from New Haven, Connecticut. "In the world today, there's a shortage of hope. That's what people are able to find here. It's uplifting. There's a need for encouragement and hope amidst the craziness in the world."
Call it a sign of the times, or a call to the faithful — no longer just those within driving distance.
With what many people consider an uncertain economy, social and cultural upheaval, a gaping political divide in America, catastrophic weather, the war in Ukraine, to name a few, people find plenty of reasons to worship and pray.
And music remains a go-to way, immersive and accessible.
Richard and Angela Urquhart drove eight hours to Hillfest from Upper Blackville, New Brunswick. The tickets and overnight stay at Cozy Cabins were a birthday gift from their children. "This is all we listen to for contemporary music," said Angela, who works as a waitress in the province just north of Maine. She and her husband, a truck driver, tune into Christian music online for encouragement throughout the day. "As Christians, we're supposed to be sharing the Gospel, which is shared in all these songs," she said.
"Everyone goes through trials and struggles," said Brittany Morton, who came from Lebanon, Maine, with her husband. The music mentions or alludes to Jesus, but its appeal is universal, moving beyond individual religious beliefs or theology. "It builds your self-esteem and ability to handle different situations. I feel everyone can benefit from that."
It's hard to estimate how many Christian music festivals dot the American landscape today. The National Christian Festival Association did not reply for requests for comment. In 40 years, the Caifornia-based K-LOVE radio network, which broadcasts currently on 600 signals in 50 states, currently has an estimated 14 million weekly listeners, a spokesperson for K-LOVE said. The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky — recently voted the top religious museum in the U.S. in a USA Today poll — boasts the world's largest Christian music festival, "40 Days & 40 Nights of Christian Music." Last year's event attracted nearly 50,000 people, and more are expected this year to the five-week festival that spans August and the beginning of September, according to an online statement by Ray Flynn of Abraham Productions, the event's organizer.
Last year, SoulFest chalked up roughly 20,000 visits across the three-day Christian music event held at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, organizer Dan Russell said. After hosting it for 17 years, Gunstock canceled its contract in 2021, citing a drain on labor provided by resort employees, visitors unable to access Gunstock's other offerings and a $75,000 shortfall from the $126,000 it typically earns in a summer weekend. Instead, SoulFest 2023, its 25th anniversary festival, will be held next month at the Topsfield Fairgrounds in Topsfield, Mass., which advertises it as New England's largest Christian music festival.
"New England is the least churched region in the country, but we're seeing the beginning of that trend changing with events like this," said Bruno, who now handles communications for Hillfest. "We're seeing a renewal of faith in New England."
Contemporary Christian music, which sometimes crosses into country, has grown in popularity "Because it speaks to the soul. It speaks to the heart. It's not as much about entertainment as it is about nurturing and feeding your soul," said Russell. The festivals provide fellowship "with people who are thirsting about growing spiritually."
The pull of indoor-outdoor Christian music isn't confined to the U.S. The Oslo International Church Music Festival held over 10 days before Easter in Norway's capital, features modern and traditional church music, including Gregorian chants performed in a medieval church. The annual KEY2LIFE Festival in Vienna, Austria, showcases creative Christian Rock from across Europe — and offers a chance to philosophize with monks and air one's own Christian music skills onstage. Creation Fest, a free celebration in Cornwall, England, includes Christian rock, folk, rap, pop and traditional choir and worship music on six stages.
With what's going in the world and the news, "and what our kids are saying when they come home from school, it's a time to rejuvenate and get the energy to go forward," said Russell.
Music's appeal
Fans say the music's appeal resides in a search for meaning and purpose, a desire to believe in something guiding and lasting, and the need to make sense of trying life events, including grief and loss — which are chronicled in a personal way by Christian artists.
"The music has always spoken to me. The story line they tell in their lyrics a lot of people can relate to," said Gibson, who owns a roofing company in southwest New Hamphshire. In the six years since he started Hillfest, it has become self-supporting through ticket sales, word-of-mouth and volunteer labor. The artists talk about "a need that needs to be fulfilled. They're looking for something more than just what they're finding in their life. They find it ultimately through Jesus."
Ben Fuller, one of Hillfest's top draws, struggled with suicide, drugs and alcohol — battles he sings about. "People can see how he's found new life in Christ and people are attracted to that," said Gibson.
Jelly Roll, an emerging Christian performer who did not appear at Hillfest, ministers to prisoners and people fighting addictions. "He drops the F-bomb a lot," said a Hillfest-goer from Andover. "His message is the same. His delivery is different. God's using him to bring people to Christ."
Country-Christian music crossover Anne Wilson tells how her life was changed by faith in her song, "My Jesus."
"The Motions," by Hillfest headliner Matthew West, "talks about how people go through the motions in life without having meaning, but it's important to live for something bigger," said Bruno.
Gibson has noticed a common thread among festival attendees and Christian music fans in general — a thread that crosses time and generations. "They're longing for authenticity," he said. A far cry from the staid hymns of yesteryear, the songs provide validation. "Even artists have these struggles. That's attractive to people. It's like someone saying, 'I struggle, too. Let's talk about it.' Then they share their own answer, which has been faith."
People who have come to Hillfest have been plugged into a church — even weeks or months later, Gibson said.
"It's just uplifting," said John Doubleday of Nashua, who volunteers at the event. Doubleday said he was homeless for three years. "The church I go to plays a lot of these new songs now. They're relatable. They fit everyone's life today." Tuning into Christian music, "I pick up on a theme, 'Never lose hope.'"
Like many attendees interviewed, he listens at home and while driving. He started by crafting a very small playlist, adding new songs as he hears them and now has 11 hours of music.
"I listen to it a lot if I'm having a bad day," he said. "It makes you calmer and have a more positive outlook."
"It hits the body, mind and soul. You feel alive," said Jean Corkhum of Nashua, who works as a cashier at a Hudson supermarket.
Matthew West speaks about real life issues, which helps in real life ways, said Melody Balletto of Nashua, who came to Hillfest with seven friends. "Being down. Hurting. Being lost. Everybody can relate to that."
"It's medicine for your soul. Events like this help point you to true north," said Gretchen Durack of Andover, who runs a rubbish and clutter removal service with her husband. "It's kind of like a revival, which the world needs really badly. There's a feeling of safety here. When was the last time you were with so many people and like-minded with every single person?
"It's easy to get caught up in the stress of the world," she said. "But that's just a distraction from what's really important." Christian music saved her life, Durack said, when her oldest brother died by suicide. The song "The Anchor Holds" by Ray Boltz still offers hope and reassurance.
"When I'm in a dark place reading the scripture is difficult for me. But music heals me. It's God's word in music," she said. "God never promised life would be easy. He just promised to be with us along the way."
"It's very powerful when everyone's here together," said Paula Costa, who lives in Massachusetts near the Rhode Island border.
