No, I didn't know where it was either. But it was quite easy to find in the end. My Dad, one of my sisters and myself made our way to this little church on Thursday night for part of their 38th Annual Festival of Praise.Dad heard about the event through a guy he works with who also happened to be conducting one of the many and varied choirs taking part. Basically, a number of churches within the Templepatrick Presbytery assembled their choirs for one night singing a number of tunes ranging from old classics to modern but soon to be classics!
I enjoyed it for the music and for a few other little things that just amused me. First, as the assembled choirs occupied the ground floor, we the congregation had to sit in the balcony. In the old cross shaped building this made for difficult viewing of the participants. Then, in a service that was to run unannounced the guest conducter proceeded to introduce just about everything.
But the bit that really made me chuckle was when, toward the end of the evening, the conductor address the combined choir prior to the benediction. She said something along the lines of 'I don't need to tell you how to sing a benediction, but if you can remember to start quietly and build....'. As I whispered to my sister next to me, I wondered how long she would have had to speak had she deemed it necessary to tell them how to sing it!
Please don't think I'm aweful for saying this sort of thing. These things just make me chuckle and bring a smile to my face. But regardless off all these things, what makes me smile the most is that the people both in the choirs and in the congregation took part in a night for which the aim was to sing the praise of Almighty God. We should be thankful the our Lord that has given us music and the ability to derive pleasure from it. But more importantly we should be willing, like the choirs that put the work into this event, to use the gift of music in the proclamation of the greatness of God our creator, our Saviour, friend and Lord!
Thanks to Killead and all the other churches that took part!
Oh, forgot to mention. One choir used a Djembe drum! Thanks to the Katie and Rachel for letting me know what it was.
5 comments:
The things that makes me chuckle is I know you don't have a chuckle as such. Just a hearty laugh and a slightly quieter hearty laugh. Did you get any dirty looks.
Glad you reminded me about your love of choir style singing. Remind me about this in a couple of months!!!
Later mate
Its funny you should say that, we were in church a few sundays ago singing a song by Rebecca St James.
I had a little chuckle to myself and looked around to see if anyone got the irony when we repeated the line "I'll Let My Words Be Few" about 15 times.
No one else seemed to get it.
Dave Allen
Haha! Love it. If I was there, I would've chuckled. Or maybe just a bemused grin while raising my left eyebrow - I can't do my right one. Funny that (still trying while typing).
hey elia - how are you? Found you on the blogging world! believe sam murray's church choir was singing and it was him playing the djembe - heard about the nite!
Hi Stewart! I'm doing ok. Sam was indeed conducting and playing the Djembe. Trouble was that the way the building was - we couldn't really see! Suppose you're still busy doing your thing too?
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