All set for Jazz and Blues Go Gospel Act III

St Luke's Anglican Church in Cross Roads, St Andrew, is getting ready to execute the third staging of its annual concert titled Jazz and Blues Go Gospel Act III.

Set to be bigger and better this year, the concert scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 24 has seen a change of venue from the grounds of the St Luke's Anglican Church to the Karl Hendrickson auditorium at Jamaica College, Old Hope Road.

Co-chair of this year's planning committee, Nola Phillpotts-Brown, told The Gleaner, that the change of venue was necessary as they are hoping to pull a larger crowd.

"The church has a capacity of 500, and the Jamaica College auditorium can hold over 1000 persons, and so we decided to change venues because we are hoping to get a bigger audience," she said. "We are hoping to go bigger and better this year, not just with the quality of the show, but we are also hoping to raise a net amount of $1.5 million this year."

Sunday's concert is expected to pull a huge crowd with acts like Kevin Downswell, Gem Myers, jazz pianist Seretse Small, and Harold Davis alongside Canon Grace Jervis and Mary Issacs, all set to blaze the stage on the night. Entry fee is $2000. Tickets are available for purchase at the Monarch Pharmacy in Sovereign Centre, Empire Supermarket in Cross Roads and the Music Mart on South Avenue.

All proceeds raised from the annual concert will go towards supporting the different outreach programmes spearheaded by the church.

REACHING OUT

According to Patrick Cunningham, rector for the church, the concert has continued over the years because of the need to ensure that the less fortunate are taken care of, especially in times when the country is struggling with economic problems.

"As our country struggles to grow economically, the needs of the less fortunate within our communities increase," he said. "With the intense pressure to meet the mounting expenses associated with living in the Corporate Area, we are staging this concert for the third time to make important interventions in our outreach ministries to help promote their (those less fortunate) continued viability."

Among their outreach programmes is a successful Wednesday morning breakfast programme. Breakfast is served in the church hall to elderly and needy people in the Cross Roads area and its environs. Over 250 beneficiaries are given hot meals, tips on hygiene and spiritual guidance in shaping their lives along Christian lines. The church also has a soup project which serves as an extension of the breakfast programme. Under the programme, soup is served in the church hall starting around midday on alternate Fridays to members of the wider Cross Roads, Allman Town and Jones Town communities who are less fortunate.

Their outreach projects also extend into the Christmas season as beneficiaries receive hot lunches, packages of grocery items, personal-care products, and cash grants during that time.