Sydney
24 March 2002

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Inspirations: Close encounter of a preferred kind

Inspirations: Close encounter of a preferred kind

By Marilyn Kerjean

It's a popular Friday night option, dinner, live music and a chance to share their faith while filling a social niche in the young adult Catholic community.

So the young musicians jumped at the chance to be part of it.

And they’re loving it.

But are they good? Extremely.

And the people who keep returning and bringing their friends along agree.

The popularity of the Encounter Christian Band, as this group of young musicians is known, is increasing steadily to the stage where it is recording its first CD.

The evangelist band uses music and projected images to share the gospel with 20 and 30-somethings in a café-style atmosphere at Caringbah’s parish hall, where it performs once a month, and at other venues.

Paul Elarde, Graeme Swords, Kim Willis and Chris Iffland were inspired to form the band in 1997 after watching performances by Christian bands from other denominations, bands who were attracting young Catholics into their audience.

The moment of decision came after watching a Pentecostal band and being “blown away” by the quality of the music and the prayerfulness of the musos, says Paul Elarde.

“We just looked at each other and said: ‘Wow, if this is what Christian music can be like, let’s do it’,” he says.

They took stock of what they already had – a guitarist, a singer, a trombonist and a drummer. And they could write lyrics and compose their own music as well.

“It was just meant to be,” says Paul, who has worked as a professional musician, but is now a partner in his own small business.

The band now has seven members, Paul, Graeme, Chris, Anita Varga, Grant Dodds, Angela Swords and Ben Southwell.

Kim is now involved with band administration and has written songs for the debut CD.

Paul says the band’s sound is characterised by strong vocal harmony and “punchy brass”.

Band members write and perform their own tunes – ballads, rhythm and blues and dance music – all with gospel themes.

And they play covers to popular songs like U2’s I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, but with a sweet Christian twist as In the Lord I have found what I’m looking for.

If guests want to sing and dance, that’s encouraged; if they just want to talk with their friends in the convivial atmosphere, that’s also fine.

Band members share their talents in the kitchen, too, serving guests with a buffet-style meal and a choice of yummy desserts.

They are supported by a small army of workers; friends who help with the administration, catering and cleaning up, the CD artwork and setting up the ‘sacred space’ each month using scripture, candles, pictures and messages.

The Encounter Café nights are designed to be fun, but the band members take them seriously as a musical apostolate and hope they help Catholics “discover or rediscover the treasures of our faith filled Catholic tradition”.

The band members are all Catholic, except for Grant, but he will join the Church on Easter Saturday. They are also active with parish life, working with Youth Off the Streets and other youth or young adult Catholic initiatives.

“My music and my faith had always been two separate things but now I feel (music is) a real ministry for me,” says Paul.

The band prays together before rehearsals and before each Encounter evening.

Guest speakers are invited to give a short talk towards the end of the evening on some aspect of Catholic faith, followed by time for reflection.

Band members write an article for their website, www.come.to/encounter and a song which they play at that month’s gig.

Each month they also profile a person such as St Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Teresa or their patron saint, Bl Pier Georgio Frassati, who died aged 24 in 1925 and was beatified in 1990.

When considering him as the band’s patron they discovered that the first Encounter night had been held on his feast day, July 4. That sealed it.

The band’s greatest supporter in its early days was Fr Chris Toohey, before he moved to the diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes as Bishop Chris Toohey.

These days the band looks to Bishop David Cremin for advice and spiritual direction.

He has seen them play and featured as a guest speaker.

Encounter Café nights are held at Keller Hall, at Our Lady of Fatima, Caringbah. Upcoming dates include March 27, April 26 and May 24 at 7.30pm. Tickets are $7.