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, up to a thousand very different people make the 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 star 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 eyes. 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's a weekly injection of joy and energy," says Birte Gruner enthusiastically. At 72 years old, she is one of the choir's oldest presidents.

Hans Christian himself says that he conveys joy of life. 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 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 her mother at Hans Christian every week.

And the main character himself also has a mission with his 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 essence of gospel music that we as people have value," he declares.

Everything meets in the gospel
Hans Christian has known since childhood that he wanted to be a musician. At the age of 18, he was accepted to 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 incorporated 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 student days.

"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 tool
That Hans Christian is a believer is evident only from his lyrics. His sometimes coarse 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 harsh blows, which, however, only provoke roars of laughter from both the attacked party himself and everyone else in the room. Everyone knows that the conductor's direct manner conceals a deep respect for the individual.

“I try to be very present when I teach. And I try to be honest and humorous. But I think one of the reasons why I am 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 practice, 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 is 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 may 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 getting beyond the Danish Jantelov, which is deeply rooted in us. Even though we are intellectually opposed to it, it still characterizes our entire way of approaching life.”

It's okay to fire it.
Janteloven is not only 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 standing up front. Up front, I have the role of the conductor and the one who has to go first, so there I have an excuse to lead the way. But in another context, I'm more aware of fitting into the framework," he admits.

He therefore understands that it can be a challenge for people to get carried away by music and sing wildly, especially if they have been told since childhood that they have no place in life.

"I try to get people to open their mouths and find out that they can actually sing. They may not be the best singers in the world, but when we have 150 people together and everyone gives something – it's a good result," he says, adding;

"My biggest driving force is seeing people get carried away, moved and happy. And not least addicted to the kick you get from singing."

There is no doubt that some of the singers have truly become addicted on this Tuesday evening in Østerbro. They scream through the air with their mouths wide open, while their bodies move from side to side with great enthusiasm and energy to the music. Others are stiffer in both arms, legs and hips and more cautious about opening their mouths. There is no doubt that they have difficulty shedding the inhibitions that are so typical of the Danes. But they all make an attempt and are deeply concentrated.

Karina Arnskjold says that she always goes home from choir feeling uplifted.

“Here it’s okay to be you. It’s okay to let it go, and it’s okay to miss a beat.”

Her mother Birte Gruner adds;
"And then I have another joy, and that is that I come here with my daughter. We have a community in singing here."

Everyone should sing gospel
Hans Christian has no doubt that everyone would benefit from feeling the special kick that gospel music gives. But he is also aware that there are many prejudices against his music in little Denmark.

"Many people have an image of it being something semi-embarrassing and sacred, which is not for Danes. So those who could never think of singing gospel really don't know what they are choosing," he states.

He hopes that people will be inspired by the music and its message to make a positive difference in their everyday lives. Hans Christian himself cannot imagine working with anything other than gospel – although he states that his work will change form over time.

“Because my choirs are constantly changing – there are always new people and a new composition – I never get tired of gospel,” he explains;

"I may be tired when I leave, but as soon as I look at the people who have come – maybe just from work – and are tired and expect to have fun, something happens. I become like a circus horse that enters the ring and can smell the sawdust."