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“You’re so blessed in Sydney to have such wonderful live music in your
weekly services!” This is the kind of comment that many visitors express when attending our services at South Strathfield. And our congregation certainly agrees.
For years, a strong musical vein has consistently carried the lifeblood of our weekly worship
services with voice and instrument to enhance, encourage, inspire and lead the congregation in its collective worship of The Awesome God.
From choirs and small ensembles to soloists for Special Music items and regular vocal hymn
backing groups, those involved in our Worship Music team number 30-strong.
As Robyn Pemberton, co-ordinator of music for the team says: “Sydney benefits
from a core of gifted musicians and singers dedicated to serving their church community in a special way.”
The individuals range between 16 and 80 years old and possess a similarly vast spread of
talents. Everyone brings their own particular musical gift to the church body -- carrying the congregation’s praise and worship on wings of song.
Team members agree that this kind of service demands focus on maintaining a pleasing level of
performance that provokes full vocal and spiritual participation by the congregation. Much time is spent in individual practice and study at home, along with group practice sessions.
Each person has their own musical story to tell -- often wondering how they ever got
into singing or playing ‘in public’, but now glad they did.
Their heartfelt comments abound: “… helps us all to move forward … much
meaning in the words we sing … wonderful part of every week … fantastic opportunity … pulls our church family together … an intrinsic part of services … we encourage the congregation to
‘sing’ their worship…”
Robyn understands feelings of inadequacy that often beset music people. She sees her role as
helping others to express their talents within the team. “I know God has given me teaching skills to use so that we all gain a feeling of spiritual and physical fulfillment within the church.”
Not all have had an easy road to their current music role in church. Lead guitarist
Rob Farrar gave up his earlier weekend rock-and-roll guitar-playing gigs when he came into the WCG, but eleven years ago picked up guitar again, this time to worship God.
Singers forming the weekly hymn-leading vocal groups are rotated across a schedule. Worship
Leaders, such as Helen Callaghan, Lenita Brown and Robyn Hynes often join the vocal group during songs.
Those in the present Worship Leading group, which also includes Elizabeth Richardson, John
Pemberton, Jim Thomas, Peter Brown and Peter Chiles, are responsible for choosing the songs each week and rehearsing the day’s music group before performing a sound-check to achieve
the best balance between voices and instruments.
The music team’s flexibility has been tested over the years as congregation numbers have
changed. But enthusiasm from a strong core of people has never flagged.
They have recognised that heartfelt collective singing of hymns and spiritual songs
expresses the theology of our faith set to music (Col 3:16). And it’s pleasing to God.
Indeed, Sydney Church is blessed
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