Rock Tour 4 - Weston-Super-Mare

After being looked after brilliantly overnight in Wimborne, we travelled to the Playhouse in Weston-Super-Mare for an afternoon performance. This meant that things were a bit rushed for the technicians, and for our ironing wonderwoman Brenda, and traffic wasn't great. But we made it ok. Most of the team went to Paul's house where his family brilliantly fed everyone soup or fish and chips.

The Playhouse had at the last minute had a problem with the number of chairs we could fit on the stage for the choir, which was a big headache for the local organiser, Jo Buchanan Hay. She had her own choir arriving, but was also expecting singers from Gloucester and Bristol to help out, and now didn't have enough seats. But God is good, and seats were found from around the Playhouse, and we had exactly the right number.

The regular afternoon team meeting was unexpectedly altered as the choir arrived half an hour earlier than expected. So instead of a private team meeting, we held a time of prayer and worship on the stage with the choir. I think everyone enjoyed the chance for a little bit more fellowship together.

Jo had organised the event wonderfully - so wonderfully that as you walk along the sea front at Weston every few metres there was a poster advertising Rock. This was brilliant, and meant that the Playhouse was almost completely sold out - a fantastic achievement for such a big venue. Roger and Mary managed to get all of their neighbours in Weston to come - every one of the small block of flats was represented.

As well as the Gloucester and Bristol choirs, the Weston Choir itself was a bit of an amalgamation, with singers from Weston churches together, from the Caprione choir, and from the churches in Brent Knoll. All were expertly gathered and trained by Naomi Russell and they sounded fantastic.

The performance itself went very well, but with one anomaly. During the prophetic section at the end of song 15, Laura danced, but no-one at all sang, which hasn't happened for us before. It was suprising, but actually we were quite thrilled as it shows that all of the Rock team are listening to God, and if he doesn't give anyone the nudge, no-one tries to fill the gap with empty words. Roger then spoke for a minute, and several of the cast said that his words summed up the feelings they had not been able to express in song.

Thanks so much to Jo, Naomi, Peter, and all those who helped with Rock in Weston. It was a brilliant day, and a pleasure to perform where several of our touring party consider to be home.