THE Mount Gambier Anglican Church was packed on a recent Sunday evening for festivities featuring music and carols from seven nationalities.
Christ Church parish priest Father Neil Fernando was delighted with the congregation filling both the church and large vestry.
The festival was hailed an outstanding success by those who took part, including residents of surrounding districts, including Penola.
Carols were led by the German-Lutheran congregation, Phoenix choir, the Uniting Church, Congolese community in Swahili (Kiswahili) Bantu of Tanzania Congo, the Temple of God Church in Lingala Bantu language of the Congolese, Liberty Church and a Sri Lankan community group.
Parish organist and choir master Rick Fisher played and led the parish choir with his son, Simon, singing the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City to begin the festival.
Christ Church choir offered All My Heart This Night Rejoices after the seventh reading then backed up the congregation for While Shepherds Watch Their Flock.
Mr Fisher said the festival was a superb offering during the first week of Advent and was assured of being repeated next year.
A spontaneous collection raised $908 to support Indonesian people affected by a recent tsunami and those in Vanuatu affected by a recent volcanic eruption.
Fr Fernando said this reflected the remarkable desire of South East people to help others.
