The Pearly Gates

Western Australian guitarist Ron Smeeton brings The Pearly Gates to Day In The Forrest: a gospel ensemble built around songs that have travelled from the church into the wider world of music. Ron Smeeton leads on guitar and vocals with Brett Hardwick on bass and Mike Marrington, a renowned session drummer based in Japan, on drums.

The line-up also includes violin, harmonica and backing vocals, with further colours added as the arrangements require.

The repertoire reaches across decades of gospel — hymns, spirituals and soul standards — played with warmth, craft and a deep respect for the music itself, whilst putting a new spin on it.