"Walk-Up Choir" - Think Of It Like A Trade Union

Take a look at this photo from Harderwyk's Christmas Day Service.

We call that our "Walk-Up Hallelujah Chorus."  Each year, as we get mid-way through the final Christmas Carol, everyone who would like to sing the Halleluijah Chorus makes their way into the chancel, grabs some sheet music and gets ready to sing.  It is MAGNIFICENT.  CLICK HERE to see the whole thing in a 41/2 minute YouTube clip.

At first, you might only see a spontaneous choir.  I though, see it through the lens of the Plumbers' Union.

What's that?  Yep, any sort of trade union actually, but I'm big on plumbers for this one.  So you see a choir, but  I see "apprentices," journeymen" and "craftsmen" doing what they do together.

Look inside the box in the photo and you see five faces.  Two "journeyman" singers we'll call them.  They know the trade and have done it well and with joy for years.  But you also see three young "apprentice" singers.  Those three are just learning their way, but learning in the midst of a collection of people who love what they do.  The apprentices can learn and get carried along and truly experience the "joy of the craft" before they are even able to really do it on their own.

Best of all, do you see in the box? There is a "journeyman" singer bending over to help an "apprentice" singer.  That is how the craft stays alive across generations while also improving in quality.

How do you learn to love the craft - any craft really?  By sharing it - both receiving AND giving - with a community that is supportive, accountable, learning together and focused on something bigger than themselves.

CLICK HERE for the next opportunity to be a part of our next "Walk-Up Choir" - typically the 4th Sunday of the month in Harderwyk's Celebration Service at 9 am.

And a special thanks to the several "craftsman" undergirding the whole event - especially our director Justin Rito and organist Jane Bosko.