'The Mountains Rejoice' concerts were held at various locations throughout Austria. Many people were touched by the music and felt something of the joy and hope found in Jesus.
The Arts Ministry team in Austria seeks to share the good news through music. In partnership with artists and churches, they organise evangelistic cultural events on the streets, in concert halls and in churches, to allow people from all walks of life to taste something of God's love and beauty and to interact with people who follow Him.
The latest set of concerts, 'The Mountains Rejoice', brought musicians from the All Souls Orchestra, London, together with others from Austria and beyond. "It was the first time three of our neighbours came along,” two audience members enthused. “They had a very positive impression." And that is exactly the point: people who would not attend a church service are quite open to attending a concert that includes, for example, classical music, pop with symphonic sounds, gospel, film music and Christian hymns and songs. Events like these can open doors for faith conversations and provide opportunities to reach people with the love of Jesus.
'The Mountains Rejoice' concerts were held at various locations throughout Austria (Vienna, Linz and Krems), and many people were touched by the music and felt something of the joy and hope found in Jesus.
Enjoy highlights from the concerts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skJ2e-dLCyk
Some feedback:
- “It was one of the best weeks of my life!" – a young musician
- “This is amazing! A concert like this would be forbidden in our country!“ “I’ve never experienced anything like this. I can’t put my joy and gratitude into words." – international students in the audience
- “What a shame we had to go to Sunday School after only two songs! I hope the orchestra can come back again!" – two little girls at a host church
- “A once-in-a-lifetime experience… Amazing! Church members were so enthusiastic in their singing!" – a believer from another host church, where a small group of the musicians led Sunday worship
- “It was the first time three of our neighbours had come with us to anything. They had a very positive impression." – an audience member
- “Thank you so much for inviting me to play. The music is breathtaking, and people are so friendly! The atmosphere in the orchestra is so pleasant (compared to some other orchestras in our challenging world)." – several not-yet-Christian musicians
- “My non-Christian friend is going through a difficult time. After the speaker’s talk and during the song ‘You Raise Me Up,' she was wiping tears from her eyes." – an audience member
- "The speaker’s clear pause for thought and invitation was 'lyrical' and one of the most beautiful I have heard in Austria." – an audience member
- “I can now say I’ve sung with an orchestra!" – an audience member
This year’s concerts in short:
- 3 orchestra concerts in 3 different cities
- 3 church services at 3 different churches
- 19 pieces/songs, including 4 premières
- 54 musicians from 19+ countries
- 17 host families & an army of cooks
- 4 sound technicians
- 8 video cameras
- 1200+ altogether in the audiences