Easter weekend 3

Well it's Saturday again and I'm still trying to write up last weekend for you.

Saturday evening saw us getting into the minibus in their white and black outfits to play at an Interdenominational event in the centre of Purulia.

The programme started about 7.00 p.m. with a hymn, prayer and bible reading and then different churches were providing people to play or sing or read based on the Easter theme.

The children were very good at each lace as we never knew what the set up would be. But we got off the minibus and they put up the stands ready and prepared their violins and they were provided with chairs to sit and wait.

They were the third group in the programmed and played 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord', 'When I survey the wondrous cross' and everyone sang along to 'All to Jesus I surrender'. Due to time factors we didn't stay as dinner was planned for 8.00 p.m.. They moved silently away and packed everything back into the minibus and returned to the hostel. Dinner was at the Vicarage.

This is the view from the hostel, the vicarage being white building behind the tree. St Barnabas church on the left. as with all planning it went a bit awry, it was supposed to be dinner at 8.00 and in bed by 9.00 as they had to get up at three in Easter morning. As it happened they ate just before 10 and were still up by 3.00 a.m. Two girls came to help me dress in a sari, still can't manage by myself, must get some lessons this week before I return - and before I knew it the pastor was in saying Happy Easter and then the Bishop and it was just gone four and I had to tune 17 violins and get them across to the burial ground to start playing by 4.14 a.m.!! I don't think I have ever played my violin at that hour in the morning before, yes the keyboard and the guitar but not the violin.

Here we were strung out in two long lines so it was very difficult to see and hear each other play but wasn't asked before hand about the best layout. At this point it is still dark but we played for 15 minutes before the service began. 'Allelulia, alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord, Kum ba yah and Ode to joy.

This was the view from where I was sitting. All the people sitting on the ground on groundsheets or chairs on the right and many also sitting on the graves. They were all decorated with garlands and incense candles so a wonderful aroma in the air. The sound desk just on my left.

This is looking at them sitting during the first part of the service along the front line and there again you can see the graves all lit up. During the offertory they played 'Thine be the Glory' which was after the Bishop preached. Then it was pack up and move across to St Barnabas Church for communion and at that point it was light - seemed to happen very quickly while my eyes shut for prayer. Only about a quarter of the people at the service moved across, there were a few hundred there.

So by 5.45 back to the hostel and wait for breakfast, which we had about 7.30. Then make sure we had packed everything to take with us as we would not return to the hostel again. Everyone managed that except Mithun, he forgot his bow tie to take with him and then he left his centre uniform shirt at Purulia - always one in a group.

8.20 load the minibus again and follow the Bishop to Ascension Church in Purulia.

All the churches decorated with bright garlands. We also had the sparrows in the roof chirping away during the service. Music stands set up for them to play while they waited in the seats at the side.

They were very well disciplined and no extra notes heard at any time during the service as they held their violins. Here we played 'Alleluia alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord' at the beginning, after the Bishop preached we played 'Thine be the glory' just through twice as some of the youth from the church had also learnt to sing it in English and so they sang afterwards. Then during the offertory we played 'All to Jesus I surrender' while the congregation sang.

After the service time to get back onto the bus to get back to Durgapur but first we were given tea and some snacks. The journey back was very good and we made it in three hours for a late lunch and with the children sleeping all the way back.

Saturday afternoon at the hostel Moyna's parents came to see her and her grandmother. She was a wonderful character and some of the older girls sat and talked with her and her face lit up.

They also played games with the hostel children in the afternoon.

The painted wall in the background is the burial ground where the sun rise service took place. It was a very good weekend with many wonderful memories and the children were brilliant the whole time - not sure who was looking after who at times but we all got safely there and back.