What would Greenbelt be without him? A lot quieter, for starters; noticeably less radical; and considerably less Welsh. Tom Robinson calls him 'one of the most charismatic and electrifying performers in Britain today', and Q magazine praises his 'depth, resonance and emotional punch'.

A passionate and engaged songwriter, a chip off the Woodie Guthrie block, he's shared stages with Suzanne Vega, Joan Armatrading, Clannad, Art Garfunkel, and - apparently - Celine Dion. He continues to tour relentlessly - 2005 saw him determined to visit every city in North America that would have him - and he shows no signs of slowing down.

The grit in the oyster of respectable churchianity, by his own admission a Liberal Backslider, Martyn Joseph also a flag-bearer for authentic Christianity. He teamed up with Tom Robinson to write He Never Said, which puts the record straight on which sentiments did and didn't issue from Our Lord's mouth. "Really what I do is try and write songs that might make a difference," he says. And he's not just a voice in the wilderness; for a time signed to Sony Records, he's had five top 50 UK singles, including Dolphins Make Me Cry, the song that also proved he's an old softie at heart.

All in all we think you'll agree with Mojo magazine's assessment: 'Joseph proves that the path to integrity is a celebration not a chore'.