Come and Join the Chorus

What I find amazing about music is how universal it can be. A group of people from different countries, age groups and walks of life can be brought together by a favourite band or genre, or even where they were when they first heard ‘that song’. Similarly, the message of the Christian faith – what the Bible calls ‘the gospel’ – doesn’t discriminate. No matter who you are or where you’re from (forgive me for the Backstreet Boys reference – it won’t happen again!) you can find love, acceptance, forgiveness, joy and hope in the gospel message.

With that said, it’s no wonder that gospel music is loved so much around the world. It carries this same message of hope in a way that is vibrant, exciting and infectious; you can’t help but want to join in! At the same time, there’s also a great sense of community within the choir itself. They all seem like they’re having a great time together, providing more proof of the joy that can be found in the music.

It’s this passion that has driven me to try and start a gospel choir from Christ Church London’s Bethnal Green service. East London is the birthplace of so many successful music artists and is bursting with culture and creativity. On the other hand, it’s also an area struggling with poverty, racial and religious tension, substance abuse and crime. I think it’s an ideal place to start an initiative like a gospel choir, seeking to both embrace culture and reach out to people with the message that God really does care.

This choir is for anybody who wants to be involved, whether they’re part of church or not – in the hope that together we can bring both light and life to the place we call our home. If you’d like to be involved then please message Lauren Richards. We’ll then add to you a mailing list and will be in touch with more details in due course.

Kirk Franklin, a well-known gospel artist, refers to his choir as ‘The Family’. It’s my wish that over time our choir will be the same.