A Jazz Mass

On Sunday for the second year in a row I attend the Civic Harvest Festival in St Anne’s Shandon. Shandon who’s bell tower features in the logo of the Cork Guinness Jazz Festival and for a number of years the Jazz Committee has facilitated bands playing at the Bank Holiday Sunday service. While for many it is strange to have to get a ticket to go to church, the tickets are snapped in a matter of days well ahead of the service. I was lucky to get two tickets to go to it this year and I brought my mother. While we both attend regular Services in St Anne’s this was her first time attending the Jazz Service.This year saw the return of the New York Brass Band (UK) and the St John’s Gospel Choir (Irl) to the service to the delight to many returning attendees.This year too was the first service to be taken by the Rev. Sarah Marry, the Priest-In-Charge of St Anne’s Shandon who took up her post in April of this year. Her welcoming presence and pure joy of the music was infectious to all in attendance.The music from the Band and Choir covered all genres, from classic Jazz tunes like the “Rugged Cross” and slave spirituals such as “I’ll Fly Away” from the New York Brass Band, to worship songs from St John’s Gospel Choir who sang “Gory Alleluia” and more modern ones like “Lean on Me” and “Happy”. What got the crowd most excited was the collaborations between the choir and Band who fed off each other’s energy and had the congregation standing up to clap and dance!The address was given by Jerry Buttimer TD whose time in the seminary certainly helped him at this moment as he spoke about Christian Duty and Civic Leadership. The Deputy Lord Mayor Mick Nugent was also in attendance and gave one of the readings.All in all a Jazz Mass is certainly worth going to, if you can your hands on the tickets!