Recently #1 joined the Youth Symphony at Church of the Risen Christ. She was persuaded by her classmates to join them as they were performing in a charity concert to raise funds for Assisi Hospice. Initially I was reluctant to allow her to go as she had to practice for about 8 sessions before the concert. She was going to have her first prelims for her ‘O’ levels and was already telling me that she didn’t have enough time for revision. Moreover she was staying back 4-5 times a week for her school band as they were going to have their grand concert at the Esplanade. She really wanted to join her friends and in the end I relented.
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| Risen Christ Youth Symphony |
I went to watch the performance and supported the charity drive, and I’m glad I allowed her to have this experience. The band was recently formed to bring together the youths in the various Catholic parishes to come together for the purpose of performing to raise funds for different charities. Youths from other religions are warmly welcomed as the philosophy of this band is to champion the integrity of the human person. It is about developing respect for one another, building friendships and learning to live in harmony with different races, cultures and religion. It doesn’t matter what religion a person may belong to, as they believe that Christ is for everyone. A fair proportion of the band is made up of Christian, Buddhist, and even Muslim youths who hail from our polytechnics, junior colleges and even the international schools. Some of them have parents who are accomplished musicians and they have volunteered their time to join their children in the event. Youths between the ages of 12 – 18 who play an instrument and are keen to join can contact them. It is a great way for them to be exposed to public performances.
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| Assisi Hospice Fun Fair |
I was immersed in the beauty of the music and heartened at the gathering of young people of different faiths, all for a noble cause.
Assisi Hospice provides end of life care to both adults and children in a very compassionate and loving environment. They do not deny anyone because of who they are or how much they can afford, thus they need to constantly engage in fund raising activities throughout the year. They are having their annual fun fair this Sunday at SJI International over at Thomson. Do try and support and head down with your families to have some fun!
Ah, that reminds me. One of the items on my bucket list is to work in palliative care. Since I’m not able to go into full time work at the present moment, I shall make time to volunteer at Assisi Hospice. Clicking on their website while doing up this post, I learnt that they require a minimum of 2 hours a week for 3 months. That I can do!
Sane tip: It also dawned on me that who my kids choose to hang around with becomes very important at this age, and I’m glad that they do positive things together instead of destructive activities, if not I’ll have endless sleepless nights!