16 July 2025
Together 2025: A Spirit-filled concert
Lyn Woods

Lyn Woods reports on Together in Concert, featuring the International Staff Songsters, International Staff Band and Canadian Staff Songsters.
A capacity crowd filled the auditorium on Friday evening for a programme of Spirit-filled musical ministry. The concert featured visiting guests the Canadian Staff Songsters (CSS), led by Cathie Koehnen and Executive Officer Lieut-Colonel John Murray. They were joined by the International Staff Songsters (ISS) and International Staff Band (ISB), who kicked off the evening with Norman Bearcroft’s rousing ‘Temple 85’.
The first piece of the night from the CSS, ‘Great God, Great Praise’, preceded Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest’s welcome and opening prayer. Two prayerful songs from the CSS and ‘Breathe on Me, Breath of God’ from the ISS were interspersed with ‘Holy Forever’ and ‘The Goodness of God’ from the ISB.
ISS Leader Dorothy Nancekievill introduced the premiere of ‘New Creation’, a new piece written and arranged for the evening by Stephen Pearson and Richard Phillips and presented by the combined songsters.
The band presented Len Ballantine’s ‘Go Down, Moses’ and accompanied congregational singing of ‘Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven’, introduced by ISB Executive Officer Lieut-Colonel Paul Kingscott (THQ).
The ISS presented a trio of songs, including the reverent ‘Celebrate the Child’ and ‘The Quiet Heart’. The band brought a calypso carnival feel to the hall with their rendition of Kevin Larsson’s ‘Rejoice!’, before the CSS presented their own trio of songs, including ‘His Light in Us’ – the name given to their UK tour.
Territorial Leader Commissioner Paul Main stirred everyone with a Bible message partly inspired by the testimony of Canadian Staff Songster Annie Robertson, which she had shared the previous weekend in a concert at Bromley Temple. He urged all present to let the love of God dwell deep within their hearts, adding that we should be challenged by what we will do with it, being true to his calling on our lives.
A great evening concluded with ‘I Have Seen the Glory of the Lord’, featuring all the musicians combined, and a sung benediction from the songsters, who were dispersed throughout the auditorium.
Written by

Lyn Woods
Editorial Assistant
Discover more

Stevie Hope offers an overview of Together 2025.

Bethany Gibson shares updates from Birmingham on the first day of Together 2025.

Bethany Gibson shares updates from Birmingham on the second day of Together 2025.

Ivan Radford reports on the commissioning and sending out of the Champions of the Mission.