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 In June 2007, we were delighted to welcome to Woodstock the Arthur Wellington Methodist Church choir from the township of New Brighton in South Africa. Despite this being the final concert of a gruelling two week tour, the choir was still full of energy and enthusiasm and thrilled an audience of over 400 people with their African music and dancing. It is a long time since the parish church was packed to overflowing but everyone there thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was lovely to see such an event so warmly embraced by the community at large.
Following the concert, and then food back at the Methodist Church, the choir were hosted in homes across Woodstock and beyond by members of our own church, friends in the Oxford circuit, friends from other Woodstock churches and other people in the town who, having heard about the visit, generously opened up their homes to complete strangers. The choir then reassembled outside the church the following morning to board their coach back to Brighton before flying home the following day. Before they left, they sang a farewell blessing outside the front of the church and our minister, Jonathan, replied in kind by also singing a blessing. It was then time to wave them off and wish them well.
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