Singing Hymns of Hope

Revd Josephine Snowden

The Hope25 Hymn Fest at Christ Church, Daylesford was a great success. There were approximately 80 people in attendance despite the wet, cold day. The church was beautifully decorated with arrangements of golden yellow, brown, and white flowers, along with autumnal leaves, for which we are very grateful to Denise, who often volunteers to assist with our concert arrangements.

The congregational members selected the hymns sung. This selection was influenced by personal associations with past and present worship experiences and contexts. The program was divided into three sections, beginning with hymns of hope in the God of creation, then hymns of hope in Jesus who came to save us, and finally hymns of hope expressed in devotion, prayer and praise.

The nave of Christ Church was designed by the noted 19th-century Melbourne architect Leonard Terry and built in 1863. In 1896, a  substantially elevated chancel in red brick was erected to the designs of Inskip & Butler. The organ was built in 1871 by George Fincham and is one of only a handful of early examples of his work to remain intact; the cost was £320. It was opened at a recital given on 1 October 1871 by  P.C. Plaisted. It is now located in a chamber to the right of the chancel. The historic Fincham organ has hardly been played in recent years and perhaps there was even some healing in hearing it played again.

Archdeacon George offered our Prayer of Thanksgiving before we retired to the Stanbridge Hall. Here we were treated to a performance of hymns of hope by the fifteen-strong Castlemaine Solomon Islanders choir, who sang during the excellent afternoon tea, also prepared by the congregation! Many former congregation members attended; their memories were enlivened, and several expressed their gratitude. The parish was united in its  enjoyment of the event.

Revd Karen Reid

What a joy to spend an afternoon singing wonderful old hymns together as a special Hope25 event at St Mary’s, Kangaroo Flat. In a little over an hour we belted out thirteen hymns of praise and hope, and there were so many more we could’ve done! Further blessed by a local chaplain who was our MC and had a repertoire of amusing stories and anecdotes to keep us laughing out loud, there was such joy in the room.
One of the highlights for me was hearing from our St Mary’s people; those who had requested a favourite hymn to be a part of the event then shared why this hymn was special to them, how it had encouraged them in faith, how it had kept them standing on the sure hope we have in Christ. It was something that many had never done before and yet was such a powerful part of the afternoon, all these brief personal testimonies to our Saviour and his faithfulness in their lives. I was so grateful to each one who stood and shared, and then further grateful to God for how he had been at work in these saints! The response was also fabulous. Straight away it was the request and insistence of many that ‘we must do this again!’ and planning is already underway for the next one. For this alone it was a great event, to help us to grow in looking outward, actively seeking to invite others in. Hymns of Hope at St Mary’s was a blessing, a lot of fun, a step out in faith, and all built upon the HOPE we have and want to share. Thanks Lord!

Revd Phil Zamagias

A cold and wet Pentecost afternoon failed to dampen the spirits of those who gathered at Christ Church, Echuca for what has now become a parish tradition: the annual Pentecost HymnFest. This year the parish adopted the theme of hope in selecting classic and modern hymns to celebrate the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Revd Phil Zamagias welcomed everyone to the event, introduced the hymns and provided a brief description of their background. Christ Church is blessed to have a beautiful pipe organ which is played most weeks by its resident organist, Mrs Glenise Masters. Glenise kicked off the programme with a stirring rendition of ‘My hope is built on nothing less.’

The junior and senior choirs from Moama Anglican Grammar (MAG) then presented items. Revd Tim Bowles, MAG Chaplain and deacon at Christ Church, gave an overview of the school’s music programme and introduced their musical items. Christ Church’s Thursday morning vocal group, ‘Sing For Joy’ provided accompaniment while resident pianist, Margaret Monro, played a modern version of Psalm 23.

Members of the Campaspe Deanery also pitched in to serve the assembled crowd: Revd Christine McWilliams from Elmore Parish played ‘To God be the glory’ while our youngest clergyman, Revd Samuel Kelly from Rochester/Lockington played the ‘youngest’ hymn of the program; ‘In Christ alone’.
The parish made copies of the Hope25 Gospel of Luke publication available thanks to the generosity of the Registry office. These were warmly received by visitors along with other gospel tracts and Bibles. By all accounts, HymnFest25 was a warm and encouraging distraction from the dreary weather which pointed people to the One in whom we can hope; Jesus Christ.