Friday 22 February 2013

Party Time & Change

On Tuesday we had a very special GGCC gathering. All three choirs came together for a bit of a PARTY! It was an evening to celebrate with Geraldine & Carey and Naomi had made a beautiful cake for them.


It was also an evening to reflect on the last 10 years of GGCC...yes GGCC has been going for 10 years! It started as just one choir at Cairns and is now three with over 100 people. It has been a joy to see how the choir has grown and to hear the countless stories of how much it means to the people who come. 

Once Geraldine and Carey are married they will be living in London. So this means we have to say goodbye to Geraldine at Easter...very sad! She will be missed so much but I know we'll still see her from time to time.

So Naomi & I will be running GGCC without Geraldine from April and have been busy coming up with a plan! We shared the broad headlines with the choir on Tuesday. They are:

1. Sadly Westbury GGCC will be finishing. It has been the choir that has been around the longest and is the biggest but we feel it's right to bring it to and end. As we do so we can celebrate all that it has been, so many people have been blessed by being in this choir and by seeing them perform.

2. Shirehampton & Easton choirs carry on. These two are the younger choirs and will continue. We will take a break over the Summer and relaunch again in the Autumn.

3. A new GGCC in Thornbury! Yes in the Autumn we will start a new choir and the lovely Heather Staley will be leading that with Em & Naomi's support...exciting!

4. School choirs. We have just this week started a gospel choir in Shirehampton Primary and have arranged to begin a other in Summerhill Infants school after Easter. Another exciting development!

So, things are changing. Change brings mixed feelings, feelings of sadness and also excitement. I know that's definitely how I am feeling and I'm sure most of the choirs feel the same. But in the words of that great High School Musical song (that Em & Naomi kept trying to get GGCC to sing!)..."we're all in this together!"

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Freedom Is Coming!

Well last Friday a group of about 20 from GGCC joined Emma to take an assembly at Cabot Primary School in St Paul's. It was the last day of Music Week at the school so we were invited to help explain the roots of Gospel Music, sing a couple of songs to the school and then teach them a song.

Emma teaching 'Freedom Is Coming' to the school


We had a blast! The children were so well behaved and one of the teachers commented on how the youngest in particular seemed mesmerised by the singing. We started off with the song 'Hold On' which sounded beautiful. Then one of the choir members, Sarah, who works at the school did a great introduction to Gospel Music and the importance of the message of hope and freedom which is at its core. Then Emma taught the song 'Freedom is coming' in two parts to all the children. They picked it up in no time and soon we had the whole school on its feet, stomping and clapping along too. The Head teacher commented on how he hadn't just been affected in his head by the singing but had felt impacted deep inside which was amazing and he said we could come back any time! To round off a great assembly the GGCC gang sang 'Great Is He' as the children all went back to their classrooms...clapping as they went!

Thanks to all from GGGC who came along, Sarah and Emma were so glad they didn't have to do it on their own!

So, this week is half term BUT CHOIR HAS NO BREAK! All three choirs are still rehearsing...see you there!