Ian Anderson, frontman from Jethro Tull, to play at Canterbury Cathedral this December

By Jen_Beard | Monday, September 27, 2010, 00:20

I read in the Telegraph that Ian Anderson is going to play a gig on December 18th, 2010 in the Canterbury Cathedral.

To be honest, I don't quite know what to make of this. The concert is being held to help fund a Cathedral restoration project, of which I'm fully in favour. It must be the 'Jethro Tull' name that's throwing me. I've always been aware of Jethro Tull as a music-making body (specifically a seventies rock band) without ever actually paying attention to them. Perhaps that's because I'm too young to have really been exposed to them. Perhaps they've never been my cup of tea.

Either way, I looked up Jethro Tull on last.fm to see what I was missing out on. Whilst there, I found a lively debate about whether or not Jethro Tull fits into the genre of 'metal', and I had to begin to wonder whether hosting a (possibly) metal concert in the Cathedral was really appropriate.

But then again, this is a band whose artistic development spans decades, and their Christmas Album (which is what Anderson will be playing at the Cathedral) seems to be a rather different flavour of music. So too, does Anderson's own work such as 'Divinities (Twelve Dances With God)' and 'Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull', which I'm going to boldly categorise as 'folk music', and seems more suited to the Cathedral.

Obviously I don't wish to imply that everyone who speaks or performs in the Cathedral must be both a Christian and in accord with Christian values, or that over the course of a decade or two people can't change, but listening to the rather anti-establishment lyrics of the album 'Aqualung' ("the ****** Church of England/In chains of history/Requests your earthy presence at/The vicarage for tea") I can't help but feel a bit confused about this. Anybody out there care to enlighten me?

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Comments

Metal and Tull is like saying you like beans with jam sandwiches. They simply don't go together. I would say they were Folk Rock; a genre which appears to have recently returned to the more mainstream music scene. When I first found out that Ian Anderson was playing at the Cathedral I was rather amused at the thought of such an unusual concert. However, I think it's great. Why shouldn't the Cathedral be open to alternative concerts, even if it is Rock? Ultimately, Anderson helping to raise money so that the Cathedral can be preserved for another thousand years. His now 'sold out' concerts are going to bring people together, people who both love his music and want to see our beautiful building full of life and energy. After all if the cathedral can withstand centuries of being bombed, set on fire, assassinations and rebellious soldiers using the beautiful décor as target practice, then I believe it can certainly cope with a little bit of Folk Rock! ;)

By Alex_Blaser22 at 14:26 on 08/12/10
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Hmm, I don't think so, I was always a mild fan of The Tull, and considering it's just the flute-wielding front-man, I don't think I'll make the trip to that big church place.

By jakerayson at 16:37 on 04/10/10
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I assume so - I thought Ian Anderson and the flute were part and parcel? Part of me thinks that it'd be amazing. Are you thinking of going?

By Jen_Beard at 21:56 on 01/10/10
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It's probably healthier not to have been exposed to The Tull until adulthood. I, however, was weaned on the stuff. It definitely ain't metal, more Folk Rock.

Will he be playing that darned flute?

By jakerayson at 14:29 on 30/09/10
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