"We'll all be there" - a Dublin soul-singing event

There was a great sense of occasion when the men of the Ards Testimony Male Voice Choir got on the bus for Dublin on Saturday morning. We were to meet up with other Irish Testimony Male Voice Choirs from all over Ireland (mostly Northern Ireland) for a Festival of Praise in Christ Church Cathedral as guests of the Dublin Choir. They were expecting 60 men to turn up, but over 100 answered the call. And with 680 seats available in the church, all tickets had been snapped up weeks before.

I am a new kid on the block, having only joined the choir about a year ago, but what a buzz I get from even the practices and our own local services. I hope the video clip from youtube gives a bit of a flavour. There are about 10 pieces from the same event now on youtube, if you want more! Those that know me might get a glimpse of me on the right behind the piano - my 15 minutes of fame!



This post is a bit different from my earlier ones on this blog-site. Usually I am grumping about Churchianity with my post-denominational hat on. But what a refreshing experience this choir is. No talk of denominations or status, but each practice starts with one of the men bringing a message from the Bible, followed by a 30-minute prayer time when all participate without leadership. To join the choir you have only to 'love the Lord' (as I was told at the start), and give your own testimony. The choir has local engagements in different churches and meetings, and not only sing but bring the Word and testify. I say all this to give you a sense of why the men in this video are singing, and I hope it gives a little added poignancy.