The Banwell and Chililabombwe link recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by holding a Music Marathon.
“Silver for Brass” was a 12-hour Music Marathon held in St Andrew’s Church Banwell on 2 March 2019. Participants shared their skills on clarinets, ukuleles, brass instruments, violins, guitars, keyboards and organs, as well as solo singers, groups and choirs! Donations went to our link parish of Chililabombwe in the Diocese of Northern Zambia to buy instruments for their Boys and Girls Brigades Band. Previously they needed to hire instruments from other churches and had been fundraising to buy their own when we offered to help towards the cost of the instruments.
We called the event “Silver for Brass” as 2019 saw the 25th Anniversary of the setting up of our Parish Link. We have travelled together sharing our faith and the ups and downs of parish life throughout this time, first by airmail letter then by email and now also through Facebook and WhatsApp.
Chililabombwe Parish held an enrolment service for new Boys and Girls Brigade members on the same day as our Marathon, followed by their own fund raising musical event in one of their churches. We even managed some slightly shaky live link-ups with them via Skype and WhatsApp during the day!
The Boys and Girls Brigades play an important role in the life of the youth throughout Zambian parishes, not only for their musical events but also as a forum for sporting activities, bible study, and discussion on areas such as first aid, disease prevention, alcohol and drug abuse, and self-respect.
Our link correspondent sent us a quotation from a local supplier for such items as drums, cymbals, trumpets and trombones. What we raised here together with their own fundraising enabled the young people to purchase what they need, as you can see from the photos. They are now able to make a joyful noise both to the glory of God and for the entertainment of the people of Chililabombwe!”