On Sunday 19 December 2023, 20 members of “The People's Choir” (TPC) joined the Focolare Choir for the annual Christmas carol of the Focolare community.
J., a member of the Focolare who is also part of “The People’s Choir”, invited this choir to help with the singing. Many members of the TPC are secular Jews, including the music director who introduced two members of the Home, G. and N., to the TPC by inviting them to participate in one of the choir's rehearsals. A collaboration was born.
Due to unforeseen family reasons, J. had to go abroad and decided to trust G. and N. with the rehearsals with the two choirs. At that point it seemed difficult to pursue this idea of collaboration, as some members of the TPC have very strong ideas about how they should perform. Fortunately, thanks to G. and N.'s commitment to living brotherhood with everyone and their sensitivity and attention in facing challenges, they managed to make the collaboration work.
The comments of the musical director and J., which we report below, reflect the positive impact that the event had on all participants. It was a truly special and memorable experience for everyone.
From the musical director:
“Thank you so much for the opportunity you gave members of The People's Choir to join you in singing at last night's event, it was a real pleasure. The message, the joyful spirit that everyone present shared, made this occasion special for everyone. It was just wonderful.
N. and G. deserve a huge thank you for their hard work, as they are fully aware of everything that is needed to make the event run smoothly and smoothly, so congratulations to you and all your collaborators and musicians who did a job excellent before the evening.
I hope we will keep in touch. I am happy to share our J. who incredibly managed to get from the airport to your church in time for her performance. We are fortunate to have her participation in our musical endeavors. When you want to join us to sing or act, know that you, G. and your entire group will be welcome."
J.'s comment:
“At “The Peoples' Choir” end-of-year party, one of the ladies who participated in the singing, with a big smile, told me that she really enjoyed last Saturday's singing, comparing it to their Jewish events, where everyone goes they agree, they enjoy each other's company and there is a happy atmosphere. She said she will come again next year."
Many of the TPC choir members who came told me that they witnessed such a beautiful atmosphere of people of different ages, including children.
