There is power and strength in singing.
There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing “There is something very special about singing gospel – and singing in general. It is a way of expressing yourself. I get hold of some emotions that I don’t express otherwise,” says Martin Køhler. He is 36 years old and works daily producing web TV at the Danish National Museum of Art. Martin started in the fall of 2011 at the urging of a friend. He does not experience gospel as a discipline that is specifically aimed at one gender over the other, but still encourages other men to sing gospel for the simple reason that there is a lack of men in most gospel choirs. “I feel that there is some power and strength coming out of singing. I get hold of some spirit, soul and power that I don’t feel anywhere else in my life,”. And then it's just wonderful to sing and have a good community experience," he states. All Posts Gospel There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing "It does something completely… Read more Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Lotte Nielsen sings gospel at 7.… Read more You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to be… Read more Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring "I'm a complete mess… Read more Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring "I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But… Read more Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for readingby journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I… Read more The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week, upwards of a thousand… Read more
Gospel brings people together across boundaries
The catalyst for joy in life Gospel brings people together across divides Lotte Nielsen has been singing gospel for 7 years and is still just as enthusiastic. For her, gospel singing expresses love for other people and for life itself. “It’s absolutely wonderful. I get completely filled up by singing Gospel,” she states, highlighting the camaraderie with the other singers as yet another of the many factors that make gospel singing a saltwater injection for her. The fact that gospel brings people together across societal divides also helps to make the weekly practice day something special for 49-year-old Lotte. She works daily with recruitment and employment at Novo Nordisk. It was not for religious reasons that she started singing gospel, but she says that singing with others has made her more religious. She finds that choral singing erases the complexes of the individual and makes everyone present sing with one voice. "From the moment you come in and only concentrate on singing correctly and not stepping outside the box, you eventually find out that we all sing differently, and that the voices together create a fantastic whole." All Posts Gospel There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing “It does something completely… Read more Gospel brings people together across borders The catalyst for the joy of life Gospel brings people together across borders Lotte Nielsen sings gospel in her 7th year and is still just… Read more You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to be… Read more Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I am a complete sack… Read more Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But… Read more Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading by journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I… Read more The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week, upwards of a thousand… Read more
You have to be made of stone not to be touched.
You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to be touched by journalist Maria Dohn People are talking loudly and giving out kisses and hugs on the cheek when I enter Fredens Kirke on a late Tuesday afternoon in January. The atmosphere is cordial and light – a bit like a family reunion, where cousins, uncles and aunts who haven’t seen each other for a while meet again. Almost all the benches in the simple church room are in use, and it’s hard to see at first that the many people form a choir, but a friendly lady shows me where the altars are located, and I find a free seat among smiling women. Like beating off rust During the initial warm-up – including a difficult rhythm exercise that triggers a collective roar of laughter – my voice feels like a ship being beaten off its rust. It’s been almost ten years since I stopped in another gospel choir. Not because I was tired of singing, but because a full-time job and two minor children took up most of my energy. Now the children have grown up, and there is a little more space in everyday life (and unfortunately also in the voice), and singing will once again have a place in my life. The choir is large. It has well over 100 people, the vast majority of whom are women. The few men – there are about 20 – are placed in the middle aisle. Our choir director, Hans Christian, stands behind a digital piano and does something that seems impossible with only two hands – he plays and conducts at the same time. But it works, quite well in fact. Humor is an important pedagogical trick Everyone has a small booklet with lyrics, and over the next two hours we manage to go through a good handful of songs. All voice groups get undivided attention. Some have sung in the choir for many years and know the songs in other variations, and occasionally a lively discussion arises between Hans Christian and the choir members about how a particular passage should be sung. Other times, Hans Christian manages to argue with himself. Hans Christian is indisputably skilled both as a musician, composer and educator. We are a bunch of happy amateurs, and yet he manages to get us to sing relatively difficult songs, some of which he has written himself. As a bonus, he is super charismatic. With an eye for detail and without losing sight of the whole picture, he steers us around the musical stumbling blocks, often using understated Jutland humor and thick, thick irony. With a clever smile, he teases and verbally abuses the respective voice groups during the evening, something that everyone magnanimously accepts, enjoys and forgives. Gospel is love As the daughter of a lukewarm Catholic and a ditto Protestant, I have come across as an absolute non-believer, and I therefore have an ambivalent relationship to the lyrics and their religious content. But I choose to perceive them as love songs, as a tribute to life, to people and to everything that is difficult to understand. The great emotions – from doubt, sorrow and longing to heartfelt joy and ecstatic jubilation – find a voice in gospel. For me, gospel is intensity and fervor, and you have to be made of stone not to be moved. All Posts Gospel Uncategorized There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing “It does something completely… Read more Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Lotte Nielsen sings gospel at 7.… Read more You have to be made of stone not to be affected You have to be made of stone not to be affected You have to be made of stone not to be… Read more Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I am a complete sack… Read more Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But… Read more Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading by journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I… Read more The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week, upwards of a thousand… Read more
Gospel gives energy like a run
Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I’m a whole sack of fleas when I get home,” says Cecilie Andersen, who is studying Cand. Merc. Jur. at the Danish School of Business and is hooked on singing in a gospel choir. She compares the effect of a rehearsal evening to the effect of a run – you both use energy and gain energy. At the same time, the community that gospel creates means a lot to her. “When I started, I didn’t think I would get to know others. I just thought I would go and sing by myself and go home again. But in the soprano group we actually know each other quite well,” says Cecilie. The fact that it is Christian music also has a meaning for 27-year-old Cecilie. “I like that it is Christian music. I think it has some nice messages. I listen to them, but I am not a Christian as such,” she explains. Her message to others who have never tried singing in a gospel choir is clear: “Come and sing along because it makes you happy. And come because you might think about the messages we sing. I personally feel that the messages help give you more energy.” All Posts Gospel Uncategorized There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing “It does something completely… Read more Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Lotte Nielsen sings gospel at 7.… Read more You have to be made of stone not to be affected You have to be made of stone not to be affected You have to be made of stone not to be… Read more Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I am a complete sack… Read more Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But… Read more Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading by journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I… Read more The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week, upwards of a thousand… Read more
Gospel gives a sense of community
Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But as soon as I came in, you had to greet others and tell them your name – I think that was nice,” says Agnete Emborg, 25. She really appreciates the feeling of community and togetherness that is created all by itself when you sing gospel with others. Agnete heard about Hans Christian’s gospel choir through her network, and after getting information on gospelnet.dk, she decided to show up. The 25-year-old pharmacy student has not regretted it. “I get incredibly happy, and I always sing on the way home,” she declares. It is not just the community but also the music that Agnete comes to experience. She enjoys the fact that there is music going on. She doesn’t think too much about the fact that gospel music is church music. “I am Christian, but the fact that it is Christian music doesn’t play a big role,” says Agnete. She was happy at the time that as a beginner in Hans Christian's choir she was allowed to come for free a few times before she had to decide whether gospel was something for her. "It's hard to explain what it's like to sing gospel - you have to experience it," Agnete states. All Posts Gospel Uncategorized There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing “It does something completely… Read more Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Lotte Nielsen sings gospel at 7.… Read more You have to be made of stone not to be affected You have to be made of stone not to be affected You have to be made of stone not to be… Read more Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I am a complete sack… Read more Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring “I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But… Read more Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading by journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I… Read more The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week, upwards of a thousand… Read more
Gospel gives energy for reading
Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading by journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I read best on Tuesdays when I come home from gospel,” declares 20-year-old Johanne, who is studying law. She has been singing at Hans Christian since September 2011 and says that when studying is tough, you really need the energy boost that gospel gives. In fact, it was after a round of strenuous group work at the library that she once saw a leaflet advertising Hans Christian’s choir. “The leaflet said something like; “Are you also going to have a good day?” – and then I thought; YES, I will,” says Johanne. And since then, gospel has been in her blood. "If I have something difficult to read, I save it for Tuesday evening, because I know I have the energy when I get home from gospel," she explains and continues with a laugh: "I have planned to sing gospel every Tuesday for the rest of my life." All Posts Gospel Uncategorized There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing There is power and strength in singing "It does something completely… Read more Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Gospel brings people together across divides Lotte Nielsen sings gospel at 7.… Read more You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to be touched You have to be made of stone not to… Read more Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run Gospel gives energy like a run by journalist Rikke Tjørring "I am a complete mess… Read more Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community Gospel gives a sense of community by journalist Rikke Tjørring "I came here last season without knowing anyone at all. But… Read more Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for reading Gospel gives energy for readingby journalist Rikke Tjørring “Gospel gives energy, energy and joy. I… Read more The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life The catalyst for joy in life His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week, upwards of a thousand… Read more
The catalyst for joy in life
The catalyst for joy The catalyst for joy His music is sung by choirs all over the world, and week after week upwards of a thousand very different people make a pilgrimage to his regular choir and workshops in Copenhagen to sing something as un-Danish as gospel. Hans Christian Jochimsen is Denmark's number one gospel singer and masters one art in particular; he opens people's hearts. By journalist Rikke Tjørring "Lord, Lord Lord, do a new thing inside me", a diverse group of Copenhageners shout, literally at the top of their lungs, in Fredens Kirke in Østerbro. It is a cold and dreary Tuesday evening in February, and the hundred and fifty people present are far from particularly gospel-like to look at with their winter-pale Danish cheeks and – for many – slightly stiff movements and tired looks. But the cheeks become redder, the body language freer and the light intensity in the eyes stronger as the minutes in the company of the conductor, Hans Christian Jochimsen, progress. This seemingly ordinary man is the secret behind their gradual redemption. “Hans Christian has an enormous ability to bring us all together. He does it so fantastically well that you want to be with him again and again. It is a weekly injection of joy and energy,” says Birte Gruner enthusiastically. At 72, she is among the choir’s oldest presidents. Hans Christian himself says that he conveys joy. But the 40-year-old conductor and composer does more than that. In his company, you instinctively sense from his energy and charisma that it is far from a coincidence that he has achieved international recognition as both a conductor and a composer. “He sends an energy out into the room that makes me feel like he sees me every time. I think everyone feels like they are being seen by him,” says Birte Gruner’s daughter Karina Arnskjold, who sings with Hans Christian every week with her mother. And the main character herself also has a mission with her music. “I would like to help bring both hope and joy into people's lives through my music. And also self-esteem. It is in the nature of gospel music that we as people have value,” he declares. Everything meets in gospelHans Christian has known since childhood that he wanted to be a musician. At the age of 18, he was accepted at the Jutland Academy of Music, and in 1993 he graduated as a classical pianist. Already during his studies, Hans Christian recognized that he was too extroverted for a life as a professional pianist with many daily practice hours in a private room. As a student job, he therefore began conducting several choirs, and when he occasionally integrated some gospel numbers into the repertoire, he noticed that something special was happening both inside and around him. “It became even more fun, and there was a good response,” he says. “There was never any plan that gospel would be my livelihood. It just happened and took up more and more of my time while I was at the conservatory,” says Hans Christian, who has not played classical music since his studies. “Gospel is a kind of complete package for me. The music part itself means a lot because I am a musician. At the same time, gospel means a lot to me because I am a believer and in gospel music I can put into words some things that are important to me in that part of my life. In addition, I can be with other people and use my humor. Everything comes together in that field.” Irony as a means of action That Hans Christian is a believer is evident only from his lyrics. His sometimes coarse-grained ironic and sarcastic humor testifies to a man who is far from a model of virtue. All voice groups in the choir take turns taking heavy blows, which, however, only provoke roars of laughter both from the attacked party himself and from everyone else in the room. Everyone knows that the conductor’s direct manner conceals a deep respect for the individual person. “I try to be very present when I teach. And I try to be honest and humorous. But I think one of the reasons I’m good at teaching is that I love doing it. I often find that a rehearsal evening is much more fun than giving a concert. At the concert, you sing to the audience and they applaud. But when we rehearse, I have this ping pong with the choir. And the very act of moving a choir from point A to point B is a great satisfaction when it succeeds. That’s also one of the reasons why I find it much more fun to work with amateur singers than with professionals,” says Hans Christian. He describes his teaching style as more group dynamic and psychologically oriented than musically oriented. For example, he can easily call the tenor group up to him on stage for a “time-out” – a kind of pep talk from himself to the men of the choir, after which he asks them to turn around and sing – in front of all the women, who are always significantly outnumbered. “Getting a good musical result with professionals is expected. But getting a good result with a choir of amateur singers is much more satisfying. Getting people to believe that they can sing is about overcoming the Danish Jantelov, which is deeply rooted in us. Even though we are intellectually opposed to it, it still shapes our entire way of life.” It’s okay to dismiss it The Jantelov is not just an opponent in his interaction with the choir but also in his relationship with himself. “If I were standing down in the choir, I would be much more inhibited than when I’m up front. Up front, I have the role of the conductor and the one who has to lead, so there I have an excuse to lead myself forward. But in another context, I’m more aware of fitting into the framework,” he says self-awarely. He therefore understands that it can be borderline for people to get carried away by the music and sing wildly. Especially if they have