Sing Noel will celebrate 10 years of uplifting music and mission next month.
The Christmas concert, presented by Sing Series, is a ministry of Wahroonga Seventh-day Adventist Church (Sydney, NSW). The concerts showcase a 40-piece orchestra, a choir and soloists, many of whom are dedicated long-time members and supporters.
This event provides an opportunity to engage the community with quality music while raising funds for charities such as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia, the Bible Society, Operation Food for Life and Eyes for India.
The Sing Noel events have featured high-profile Australian performers such as Silvie Paladino, Chris Sebastian, Graeme Press and the Australian Girls Choir, alongside several Adventist soloists including Sandra Entermann, Jana Lombart, Albert Mataafa and Marleta Fong.
“Working with skilled musicians who are committed to excellence is a vital aspect of our ministry, as we aim to honour the Master Creator with the gifts He has given us,” concert founder and artistic director Benjamin Milis said.
“We recognise that God, the ultimate Artist, deserves our very best. Therefore, we strive to play and sing not only with technical proficiency but also with hearts that reflect genuine worship.”
Assistant musical director Sanja Kitevski said Sing Noel concerts offer hope by highlighting the true reason for Christmas, not focusing on the commercialised notions of the holiday like many other carolling events.
“Sing Noel concerts have a unique ability to draw people from all walks of life, including those who only step into a church once a year, such as at Christmas,” Ms Kitevski said.
The first concert, “Love Came Down”, was held in 2014 after Mr Milis felt inspired to create a Christmas concert modelled after the Hymns & Songs of Praise concerts run by Dr Lyell Heise and Valmai Hill at the Institute of Worship.
“Their mentoring during my time as a student at Avondale University, along with their commitment to training the next generation of Adventist musicians, empowered me to dream big,” he said.
In the following years, each event had a themed title before the committee decided on the official name for the concert in 2019: Sing Noel.
Wahroonga Seventh-day Adventist church will be hosting the 10-year celebration concert on Saturday, November 30 at 7pm. Attendees are invited to dress in their best formal attire to celebrate the occasion.
The concert will be filmed and aired on Hope Channel, nationally and internationally throughout December.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Sing Series website or their Facebook page. All proceeds from ticket sales go towards supporting a charity project.