General News
30 November, 2023
Afternoon of hymns and carols to delight community
Community members from far and wide will be treated to An Afternoon of Music at St Andrew’s Uniting Church this weekend, with hymns and carols for everyone to revel in. St Andrew’s has orchestrated and held its popular and successful Hymnfest...
Community members from far and wide will be treated to An Afternoon of Music at St Andrew’s Uniting Church this weekend, with hymns and carols for everyone to revel in.
St Andrew’s has orchestrated and held its popular and successful Hymnfest for a number of years, with An Afternoon of Music to build on the event’s success and be a treat to listeners’ ears this Sunday afternoon.
The event will feature guest organist Geoff Coots, who has family connections to the area, an organist who played at Geelong’s Carols by Candlelight event for over a decade.
There will also be a wide range of performances by community groups throughout the afternoon, including by the singing group organised by resident Fay White in 2021.
The singing group was created for anyone, regardless of musical ability and dabbles in a diverse repertoire of music, having previously performed at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery and will perform music with the theme of hope at this weekend’s event.
The church’s Anna De Villiers said the event will be an uplifting experience for the whole community.
“Hymnfest has always been a successful event that we’ve organised, where familiar and popular hymns have been played,” she said.
“This event is really building on that success and involves a number of performances from the community which is important.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing the community come together to celebrate and enjoy this music — this is an event for the community and everyone is encouraged to come and enjoy it.”
Also performing on Sunday will be two groups of Asteria participants, led by disability support workers, as well as up-and-coming performers and vocalists from Sleeping Stars, supported by their senior group.
Another feature will be the performance by the Steed Brothers who are well known for their musical leadership at the Church of Christ and further afield.
As a special treat, the Shirley Lewis Music Award will be presented to Highview College student Jorgia Brown, who will perform her adjudication piece.
The award is administered by St Andrew’s Uniting Church to encourage young musicians in years seven to 10 attending local secondary schools and was first presented in 1989.
An Afternoon of Music will be held this Sunday, December 3 from 2 pm at St Andrew’s Uniting Church in Neill Street, Maryborough.
Entry is via donation towards the maintenance and upkeep of the organ, with afternoon tea to be served following the musical performances.