Fr David O'Malley SDB writes about a recent event in Battersea. Photo above shows stars of the show,  Ben Whitehead, Danny Whitehead, John Lumsden, James Hume, with Lauren Soley and Josie Kemp in the front row.

Sacred Heart Parish hosted an event to raise money for a redecoration fund. Entitled "The West End comes to Battersea" the concert included six of the stars of musicals across the west end who joined with an array of young talent from the Salesian parishes in Battersea.

Everyone was looking forward to hearing the voices of the professional singers pictured and they did not disappoint. The quality of the performance was wonderful and the stars sang many of the songs from well-known musicals with a verve and energy that thrilled the audience. Many of the cast are involved directly in Les Miserables at present, though you will have seen their names in diverse places, from the Queen's ninetieth birthday party to Wallace and Gromit.

Having said that, despite their obvious talent and passion for singing, the children who ran the first half of the concert stole the show. Actors are warned "never appear with children or animals" and it was clear why that may still be true. The young singers, musicians and dancers, all well rehearsed, performed with a focussed shyness and a great deal of skill and excelled in front of their parents and the whole parish.

This was a gathering of a parish community that celebrated its young people and where everyone simply enjoyed the chance to be together. Raising the money to decorate the church was a welcome bonus but what put spring into the step of those who attended was the joy of celebrating talent and the gift of young people in the parish.

David O'Malley SDB