Festival Report: Stanthorpe "Saturday Night Live"
Saturday July 20th, 2002

Cool evening temperatures didn't keep visitors away from another successful "Saturday Night Live" held in the Stanthorpe Civic Centre on July 20th. Stanthorpe Christian Fellowship has been hosting these popular events for a number of years as a part of the regional "Seed Festival" initiatives. "Saturday Night Live" always features good gospel music, accompanied by a hearty supper, coffee, tea and sweets.

Saturday's event was no exception, with in excess of 150 visitors enjoying a diverse range of musical styles from bright jazz, to soulful Christian ballads and hymns. The music program was largely brought by a group of singers and musicians who travelled from Brisbane, and who stayed on to support the following mornings' church services in Stanthorpe and Warwick.

Event organiser, Andrew Hay, said "These events provide a great opportunity for us as a church to share the life that we have found in God with our own community. It also gives us a chance to introduce our friends who come up from Brisbane to share their musical talents with us. It's more meaningful for us to have ones come and sing with whom we are already linked heart to heart, rather than to hire "professional" Christian entertainers who are unknown to us."

The night kicked off with a lively, brass fanfare of some well-known gospel standards, featuring jazz trumpeters Jeremy Williamson and Kane McNally. Soprano Vicki Feilla hosted some popular gospel choruses and hymns, including "Power In The Blood" and "I have Decided To Follow Jesus". She also brought some of her own beautiful ballads, including "Poured Out For You". The distinctive acoustic style of Phil and Monique Shore brought a modern musical contrast with powerful lyrics in their songs "When I Stand" and "To Know You". Founding member of the gospel group "The Shekels", Mark Nahuysen and his wife Helen brought a variety of material, including an item featuring a clutch of local and Brisbane kids, in a touching Jazz ballad arrangement of "Jesus Loves Me". The program was rounded out with Vince and Fiona Cicchini, a contingent of Stanthorpe Christian Fellowship musicians and singers, and a group of Warwick men who concluded the evening with the moving hymn, "Saved By Grace".

For more information on Stanthorpe and Warwick Christian Fellowships, please contact Andrew Hay on 07 4681 3433 or via e-mail at haya@flexi.net.au.