Hearts on Fire festival problems despite overall success

THE HEARTS ON FIRE festival in Glastonbury in July, at which Cliff Richard, Rick Wakeman, Graham Kendrick and many others appeared, was deemed a success by the organisers despite making a financial loss and a 'Wakeman Quits Christian Stage' front-page story in The Christian Herald.
There were also reported problems with a section of Cliff Richard fans disappointed not to be at the front of the crowd for the Saturday gala night of entertainment. Organiser Rick Hillard said, "To run an event like this will naturally cause some problems and believe it or not, we are not - and do not claim to be - perfect. I confess we made some mistakes here and there, but the whole event has been very warmly received by the people of Glastonbury. Over the weekend at the Friday evening celebration, Saturday family praise, Sunday united service and Praise And Proms Finale, we had crowds averaging 1,500. Saturday itself was very good throughout -apart from those who didn't like our evening entertainment."
The festival has shown a financial shortfall but, at the time of going to press, the amount involved was unclear. Rick Hillard will be leaving Somerset at the end of this month for a job in London so the future of the festival as a whole hangs in the balance.
Another problem for the Hearts On Fire organisers highlighted in Christian Herald has been the failure of the festival to pay a number of the contributing artists. Amongst those still to receive payment mentioned in the Christian Herald story were Paul Heyman and Linda Pearce.