Sydney Congress Hall is a

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

Corps situated in the

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

. It is a local expression of The Salvation Army, an international movement which is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Meetings

Sydney Congress Hall holds three Christian worship services throughout the week - two on Sunday and one on Wednesday. Each service includes Bible readings, music, preaching, prayer and sharing.

Music

Music has always played a significant role in the life of Sydney Congress Hall. Each Sunday Meeting involves various types of musical expression. The band utilises a variety of brass instruments. The band supports the Corps in its worship, as well as undertaking various outreach activities. The band has released numerous CDs which are used in worship in many smaller Corps. The Songster Brigade is an 'adult choir' and is made up of men and women of all ages. They participate in Sunday meetings as an expression of and aid to worship. The Songsters have undertaken numerous tours of different parts of Australia, and have joined with other Songster groups on occasions, as part of a massed chorus and as a solo choir at events at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

, and the

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre The Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre was a convention, exhibition and entertainment complex in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Designed by Philip Cox, the complex opened in 1988 as part of an urban renewal and redevelopment of the Darling Harb ...

. Sydney Congress Hall Timbrel Brigade is used regularly in worship at the Corps as well as during Outreach activities. This group uses the

timbrel The timbrel or tabret (also known as the tof of the ancient Hebrews, the deff of Islam, the adufe of the Moors of Spain) was the principal percussion instrument of the ancient Israelites. It resembled either a frame drum or a modern tambourine. ...

to express the joy of the Lord, as well as to attract attention in crowded spaces. They are regulars on the Sydney Anzac March, and are one of the last remaining Timbrel Brigades in New South Wales. OnFire Big Band, a

jazz ensemble A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...

, played all styles of

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. OnFire's mission was to attract the jazz listening public of Australia to the message of Christ, and to enhance the worship experience within their own church (and the Australian church at large). The band played events such as the Manly Jazz Festival, the Youth in Swing concert series, and many concerts with James Morrison. During 2001, the Band toured the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. In 2003, OnFire had a guest spot on ABC Radio accompanying James Morrison. It had regular performances at the popular Sydney jazz club, The Basement. In 2000, the band released their self-titled debut album, In March 2002, they released a second album entitled ''Jazz with Heat and Direction'' and in 2007 they released their third album ''Unfinished Business''. Highest Praise, a contemporary vocal group, was active in the 1990s. The group was used both in meetings and for outreach into the Sydney community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salvation Army, Sydney Congress Hall, The Sydney Congress Hall Organisations based in Sydney

Meetings

Music

See also

References