Farewell to the Knickerbocker Glory

Fans of Presbyterian chaplain and U2 expert the Rev Steve Stockman's Sunday evening Radio Ulster show have vented their dismay at the BBC's decision to axe it as part their scheduling 'refreshments'. Rev Stockman (45), who lives in Belfast with wife Janice and daughters Caitlin (8) and Jasmine (6) tells Judith Cole why he feels honoured to have been a radio host for 10 years
28 November 2006

When Presbyterian minister the Rev Steve Stockman was told his Sunday night Radio Ulster show was being axed, he didn't count on the resulting outcry.

Rhythm And Soul, on air for 10 years, took the rather unusual format of incorporating both religious and secular music.

Rev Stockman broadcast special programmes after the Omagh bomb and the death of Princess Diana, and says he attracted listeners from both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds and those who claimed to be atheists.

But he prefers to reflect on his time at the BBC as an enormous privilege, emphasising that he is not angry at all.

"I never assumed I'd be coming back after the summer break every year," he says. "This year I was told there had been a change of programming, and that Rhythm And Soul would be a casualty.

"The head of radio took me out for a meal and thanked me, which was lovely. The show wasn't my day job - it was a hobby and I loved doing it, but I knew it was going to end some time."

While Rev Stockman may be rather relaxed about what happened, some of his fans, it seems, are not.

One of the raft of letters received by the Belfast Telegraph stated: 'This programme fills a slot in the market for those who want to hear modern rock music with a spiritual theme, yet the BBC have decided that it cannot continue. I think this is a poor decision.'

Another writer remarked: 'In a country which has defined and defiled itself using the excuse of the flavour of its religion, Stocki put together a radio show which weaved past division to create a knickerbocker glory, a multi- flavoured musical treat for all.

'In these important days when our part of the island might be able to put itself back together again, I would have thought that the healing power of radio was one that we could ill-afford to discard.' But sitting in his study, which contains a mammoth record collection, at the Presbyterian Derryvolgie Halls at Queen's University, Belfast, where he is chaplain, Rev Stockman is philosophical.

"I am disappointed - obviously I enjoyed doing the show," he admits. "But it doesn't seem to me that the BBC has taken away my radio show. It seems that the BBC gave me 10 years on the radio. To go into Studio 8 on a Sunday night, where the sound was fantastic, was a ridiculous privilege.

"My children's livelihood was not dependent on the show and it was not my identity. I have loads of things going on in my life - my children probably think too much."

As well as living at the QUB halls with 88 students, Rev Stockman has 20,000 more in the university community to minister to.

U2 fan

He's an expert of some renown on rock band U2, having written a book Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2.

Always interested in the band because of their "spiritual side", Rev Stockman had written articles about them on his website and was contacted out of the blue by a Florida-based fan who had read his work and suggested he write a book.

"I got fortunate," he says modestly. "My life is a catalogue of ridiculous grace and the book was published just as U2 were going on their Elevation tour.

"Because no one had predicted that U2 would become big again, my book was the only one written about them that year. But just as we published it they became the biggest band on the planet. It was at number 105 in the Amazon charts at one point, which was just amazing.

"Because of the book the likes of Sky News invited me into their studio to comment on U2. But again, it's just a hobby - I'm a university chaplain who happened to write about U2 and do a radio show."

But Rev Stockman is proud of his years hosting the show and also that he attracted listeners from all over the world.

"In America anything that's deemed to be Christian radio is very carefully monitored and they only play songs from Christian record labels that are deemed to be 'safe'," he says. "They have been known to play Christian artists covering U2 because they weren't allowed play U2. That's very bizarre.

"But my show played U2, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead and The Killers, along with Christian music when no one else was. I thought that 'knickerbocker glory', the term that one of the letter writers used to describe the show, was amazing because the programme had a great mix of so many different things.

"In the UK playing Christian music is too religious while in America it was too dodgy to let people play secular music during so-called religious shows.

"It seemed that the only show on planet Earth that was playing both together was mine. That's why we had a big, world-wide audience of internet listeners - I got a message of support from a man in Tasmania who said he rose at 6am to tune in."

Rev Stockman suggests he may have lost listeners when the show was moved from 10pm to 8pm some years ago.

"If I say anything I'd say it was a pity that the show was moved to 8pm because I probably lost some younger listeners," he says.

"I had initially got the show moved from 9pm to 10pm. When the show was put forward to 8pm five years ago, people said they were listening to me on the way home from church, but when the show was at 10pm I was getting a lot more email and letter engagement from younger people.

"Most young people on a Sunday night are at youth groups - and by 10pm they are home, so that was why having the show at 10pm was great. I definitely lost that younger element in the last few years.

"But the show was for everyone - teenagers right up to 80-year-olds. Some older people said 'I'm not sure about some of the music but I love your programme'. My show suited people who just about got Johnny Cash and certainly didn't get The Killers, but loved the chat."

Reaching out

Rev Stockman enjoyed the opportunity to reach people he normally wouldn't from the pulpit.

"When I'm preaching on a Sunday it's usually in a Presbyterian church whereas on the show the audience was much wider denominationally. There were a lot of Catholic listeners who I wouldn't normally have had a chance to speak to.

"I once played Silent Night in Irish because I thought it was the right place to do so. It was about trying to bridge gaps to people's spirituality."

In his attempts to be relevant to world events, Rev Stockman devoted his show of August 16, 1998, to commemorating the victims of the Omagh bomb.

"I played as many songs as I could that spoke into the grief, sadness and tragedy of that day, and I tried to bring some hope and express sympathy," he says.

"It was probably the toughest show I ever did. The programme I did after Princess Diana's death was also tough, but it was a privilege.

"I think U2 did a marvellous job in pastoring America after 9/11 and while there was no way I was reaching so many people I would hope that I was able, through music, to touch some who were affected."

But how does he answer questions that people with more traditional Christian beliefs might ask, such as that modern rock and pop music can be harmful?

"I've had to wrestle with that," he concedes.

"I've written on my website about the Amish tragedy. Those people dealt with that with such dignity, but I also make the point that Jesus said 'Let there be light', but also 'You are the salt of the earth'. Salt is no good unless it's on something to keep it fresh or enhance its flavour.

"It seems that the Amish community, which sent out a light, needed their values to infiltrate our society rather than being cut off from us.

"I think to be relevant to society we need to know where the Gospel can meet people, and I'm not sure you can shout it from a distance. So I watch and listen to a lot of stuff.

"There's a verse in Colossians which says 'Let the word of God dwell in you richly'.

"I try to train students to do that and then hopefully they can decipher what is good and bad."

A BBC NI spokesperson said:

"We really enjoyed and valued Steve Stockman's contribution to BBC Radio Ulster. Steve came to BBC Radio Ulster in 1996 for a three-month run and presented with us for 10 years. We are sure that all of his loyal listeners will join us in wishing him well for the future. BBC Radio Ulster listeners are at the heart of everything the station does and changes to the Sunday evening schedule were made as part of wider refreshments to the weekend schedule to allow the station to continue to be dynamic, accessible and reflect listeners' tastes."

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