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UNITED KINGDOM: Marilla Ness supports persecuted Christians with Scotland concert
By John Newton
Marilla Ness and Dermot Lamb, Aid to the Church in Need's Scottish Adminstrator
Leading Catholic singer Marilla Ness drew crowds from near and far for her first ever event in Scotland – held in support of Aid to the Church in Need.
About 400 fans – some from as far away as Somerset – packed into Saint Francis Xavier Church, Carfin, outside Motherwell, for An Evening of Prayerful Music.
The concert, on Thursday, 29th April, raised nearly £3,000 for Aid to the Church in Need’s work supporting persecuted and other suffering Christians around the world.
Described as the UK’s number one Christian recording artist, Irish-born Marilla Ness performed for almost two hours, singing a selection from her top-selling albums including Holy Spirit We Welcome You, Holy is His Name, and The Spirit of the Lord.
Marilla Ness sang several songs dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and people joined in singing the hymn to Our Lady of Knock.
Between songs there were brief reflections. Marilla Ness spoke about how people’s lives had been touched by prayer.
Event organiser Dermot Lamb, Aid to the Church in Need’s Scottish Administrator, gave a short talk about the work of the charity.
He talked about Eritrean singer Helen Berhane, who in 2004 was arrested for making a cassette of Christian songs and who was imprisoned in a metal container for two years.
Following an international campaign, Helen Barhane won political asylum to Denmark and she now uses a wheelchair because of the beatings she received in prison for refusing to renounce her faith.
At the end of the evening Mr Lamb presented Marilla Ness with a picture of the Ascension of Christ designed by members of the Joti Educational and Cultural Centre in Sindh, Pakistan, a catechetical project supported by Aid to the Church in Need.
Dermot Lamb said: “Marilla Ness inspires great enthusiasm in people – it was very much a mixed audience with some Aid to the Church in Need supporters and a great number of Marilla Ness fans.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to pray and remember those who suffer for their faith.”
Marilla Ness stayed at Carfin for an hour after the concert until 11pm, signing autographs and talking to concert goers.