The event was organised by artists living in and around London as part of a fund raising event for Re’esse Adbarat St Mary of Debre Tsion, Ethiopian Orthodox church, which has been providing spiritual as well as social services for many Ethiopians living not only in London but also in other parts of the United Kingdom and Europe, since its establishment in 1975.

The church is situated at a prestigious and historical location in Battersea, London. It acquired the church building and the vicarage for £1,700,000 in 2007 and of which, so far £1,600,000 has been paid leaving a balance of £100,000 from the cost of only the vicarage. This is a heritage for our children; and every Ethiopian should take pride in this huge and unique treasure.

The artists have spent the previous five months preparing for this huge and important event by practicing as much as three times a week. As a result the expectation was huge.

Over a thousand Ethiopians and friends from all over the United Kingdom gathered to witness and to be part of this special occasion which is the first of its kind in Europe. Once again, Ethiopians dispelled a recent myth and took the lead in the spirit of spiritualism, patriotism and unity.

The demand for tickets was quite extraordinary. The young and the old in white traditional clothes adorned with the tri-colours of the Ethiopian flag started to descend on Hammersmith from around 11:00 am. The hall’s maximum capacity is only one thousand and a lot of Ethiopians have to be turned away.

Though disappointed, a significant majority understood the significance of the occasion and were in fact happy that the event was able to attract so many Ethiopians. This by itself is a huge achievement. It is a proof that Ethiopians are God fearing people. It was a reminder of our heritage, Christian tradition and culture.

It was an opportunity to show the young generation that we have a religion, history and culture which should be preserved and protected as they are treasures we inherited from our forefathers. It was also an occasion that clearly demonstrated that together, God willing, we can achieve great things.

The atmosphere in the hall was excellent. The program started with a prayer by Komos Aba Girma Kebede, the Administrator of the church,who thanked the artists for devoting a huge amount of their time and resources to organise such a unique and important event. He was followed by Ato Behailu Neka Tibeb, who is the representative of the artists. He said, ‘ in order to rehabilitate and rejuvenate our spirit with the wisdom that was once inhabited by the earthly hustle and bustle of an artist life, some of us gathered and made a proclamation some five months ago to give back what is given to us….YOURS TO YOU’. It was a heart felt speech.

He was followed by the lovely and adorable children of Abune Yohannes Children’s School at St Mary of Debre Tsion. Dressed in traditional clothes and church uniforms, they were clearly excited. It was clear that they were looking forward to this day. Their welcome song was very touching and it was followed by three other songs which were equally amazing. They were loved by everyone
and above all the kids liked and appreciated the occasion.

Then the main program started. The singers dressed in white traditional clothes, which were brought on the previous day from Ethiopia for the occasion, and accompanied by other artists playing traditional musical instruments sang beautifully.

There were so many of the younger generation of the Ethiopian Community in London for whom this is probably their first spiritual occasion and hopefully not their last. However, every one in one way another joined in the singing. For most of the time everyone in the hall were on their feet singing, clapping and sometimes crying.

The drama presentation which has a touching and relevant spiritual message was excellent .We listened and admired the oratory and theatrical skill of the artists in total silence, until the end. It was beautifully played.

The singing continued until the evening and no one wanted it end. But it had to and the final song was incredibly emotional for everyone in the hall including the artists who were joined at the stage by students of Abune Yohannes children’s school.

The event was repeated at St Mary church on 18th April and it was equally successful.

The event raised a significant sum for the church. However, in addition to this, and more importantly, it brought over one thousand Ethiopians in one hall; praising our lord Jesus Christ. It was a show of spiritualism and unity. It was huge advertisement for our religion, culture and not to mention our musical instruments which are ancient and unique. It was an opportunity for the young generation to learn and appreciate our religion culture and tradition. It was also a show of strength. Only if we are united and aim for a common purpose, with God’s help, we can achieve lot more for ourselves our community and for our country.

The event has been professionally recorded and its DVD and CD will be soon released all over the world.

The artists and the clergy and officials of St Mary Church deserve our appreciation and thanks.