Inspiration - be inspired!
Ainslie Joseph
'Great is Your Mercy' is the awesome title of an evening of Gospel
singing to be presented by the choir Inspiration at Saint Paul's Church,
Kynsey Road, Borella, on October 24 at 6 pm.
"Come, experience the power of God's presence in anointed praise at
this inspiring choral presentation," says Priyanthie Seneviratne VanDort,
the choir's Director who has been its founder, and animating force ever
since the outfit was formed in 2007.
That same year, they had their first public exposure through Derana
TV's Christmas program. In 2008 a presentation by them called '
Celebration of Love' at St Paul's Church, Borella and last December ITN
telecast the group's Christmas program.
'Yet for all," says Priyanthie, "our purpose is not to entertain
because the world is not short of entertainers".
"My presentation is not a show, nor is it a service. It is an
encounter with the Divine."
To throw more light on it, she says: "Well, my vision and mission is
to inspire people and lead them to the presence of God through my
music."
"I do this without the spirit of competition or the need to earn
honours. There are no tickets sold either because you can't sell the
Word of God. Mine is purely a ministry of music for the greater glory of
God."
Excellent, but I counter by asking why she confines herself to Gospel
singing.
Priyanthi says: "In the music ministry, Gospel music is a powerful
force where many lives are touched, healed, changed and the soul
encounters God through His Word played and sung. The singers and the
musicians are the channels by which the grace of God flows through into
the lives of people. The singers and the musicians are an anointed
presence in the midst of the people of God. Our voices, our minds, our
hearts are all consecrated to the service of God."
Inspiring indeed, but wait a minute. What do the young people in your
group think about your vision and your mission?
"Well, I instill the same values that have motivated me all through
my life," says the music maestro who for many years directed the
Peterite choir before taking on the Bridgetines. "Since childhood I have
been in singing and music. It's in my family. In later years I felt in
me a calling from God to be an inspiration to others through my music,
wherever I found myself. God has blessed my life with music which is my
special talent, and He has anointed my talent, so that others may be
blessed and anointed through me. As for my young group, I must say that
the God uses every single voice in the choir, even in spite of
imperfections, to make his message flow through." |
