A panaromic view of the St Georges Orchestra at the candlelit event held at the Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic church on Sunday 29 April. Photo: Michael Connelly.
By Amanda Murthy
The community of the Visitation Parish of Gingin-Chittering united at the largely completed Divine Mercy Church on Sunday evening 29 April for a fundraising Concert, orchestrated and presented by some of Australia’s finest musicians.
Dubbed “An evening of Elegance”, the candlelit event attracted around 400 attendees including priests and religious, who were seen tapping their toes to a spectrum of performances inspired by the sacred and classical works of musical extraordinaires Bach, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky.
All proceeds were donated to the Divine Mercy Church Building Fund.
Guests are seen posing for a photo before “An evening of elegance”. The event showcased an array of sacred and classical music from Bach, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky. Photo: Michael Connelly.
At 6pm, the lights went dim, and the first performance commenced, receiving a roaring applause from the crowd.
St George’s College Chamber Orchestra and the Lumina Choir wow’ed guests with their captivating tunes. Violin virtuoso Paul Wright and Mezzo-soprano vocalist Bianca Hurley added to the unforgettable experience.
GinGin Chittering Parish Priest Father Paul Fox, who headed the organising team for the event, thanked all those involved, adding that he is very encouraged by the many contributions and support for the new Church which he hopes will open in 2019.
“This beautiful Church designed by parishioner, Peter Anthes, has been made possible through the endless love and generosity of so many people,” Fr Fox said.
“The interior of the Church still needs to be completed, this includes the tiling of floors, painting, artwork, balustrading, doors, cupboards and Baptistery.
“The rock work on the outside will take approximately another two years.
Mezzo-soprano Bianca Hurley accompanied by the St Georges Chamber Orchestra delivered a stunning performance in front of 400 guests present. Photo: Michael Connelly.
“This is being clad in local “moss rock” which has been gathered and stockpiled by parishioners and other helpers over several years,” he said.
“I can’t wait for the completion of this beautiful Church which will be an icon of faith in the area and will no doubt prove to be popular place of pilgrimage in the future.
“We are located in the heart of the Chittering Valley, which is already a popular destination for many parish groups and tourists.
“We hope that the Church will be an oasis of peace and inspiration for parishioners and for who visit this beautiful part of the world”.