Sydney Congress Hall is a

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

Corps situated in the

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center 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 wit ...

. 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 center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

, and the

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre The Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre was a convention, exhibition and entertainment complex in Darling Harbour, Sydney. The Exhibition Centre was designed by architect Philip Cox and the Convention Centre by John Andrews (architect), John ...

. 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 in Arabic, the adufe of the Moors of Portugal) was the principal percussion instrument of the ancient Israelites. It resembled either a frame drum or a modern tambour ...

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 Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, hymns, m ...

, 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 and ...

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. 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 ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. 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