Dozens of people from churches across Ipswich have come together to sing a song about unity and hope in ‘The Ipswich Blessing’.
Members of 43 Christian church denominations from the town have recorded themselves singing along to the song ‘The Blessing’ by Elevation Worship.
Performers who were involved in the project include members of Anglican, Baptist, Elim, Free, Methodist, New Frontiers, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, URC and Vineyard churches.
The project was organised by Revd Amy Key and her husband Matt Key, two of the leaders of St Augustine’s Church in Ipswich, and aims to bring hope and comfort to the community during the coronavirus lockdown.
Matt Key, who previously worked in music production, said: “We were hugely inspired by The UK Blessing which quickly went viral. It has had more than three million views. “There was lots of talk about churches working together and being there for their community, so we thought it would be wonderful to replicate it in Ipswich as a message of hope to our town’s residents.”
Amy Key, who was a professional pianist and music teacher before training for ordination, added: “The response has been absolutely amazing. We have got 58 singers, ranging from teenagers to the older generation and a mixture of ethnicities, genders, and church traditions, so it is a great representation of the churches in Ipswich. “The feedback has been unanimously positive and encouraging. It has created a real sense of support, even from the churches who could not take part as they did not have a singer. “Everyone is excited about being part of something bigger than any one individual or organisation.”