They make my heart sing

For a wonderful start to your week, play this video! These amazing people are the Soweto Gospel Choir, and in this particular clip, they are singing Oh Happy Day, a song I have always loved. The SGC are a 52-strong choir that was formed purely to celebrate the power of gospel music, particularly African gospel. They are dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music, and that is exactly what they do. It is impossible not to feel God, and therefore joy, in the room when they perform. They are uplifting, not just because of the beauty and exhilaration of their music, but because of what they stand for. Their repertoire is sung in English, but also in six of South Africa's eleven official languages - a labour of love, faith and unity. I've been listening to them pretty much since they first performed at a 46664 concert for Nelson Mandela in 2003, and I was lucky enough to see them live in Singapore a couple of Christmases ago. 

I've been living in London for the last 10 years, but I spend every Christmas in Singapore with my grandmother. I have never missed one, and as she gets older, each Christmas is that much more precious.  On the 21st of December 2009, I arrived at Changi Airport and phoned her as usual to let her know I'd landed. She has always been waiting by the phone, anxious for that call, so when she didn't answer, I knew something was wrong. And I was right. My mum turned up to collect me an hour late, bringing the news that Mama had had a heart attack and was in the hospital. She had been in intensive care for 24 hours, but hadn't wanted me to be told because she didn't want me to spend the flight worrying about her. She was waiting to see me before she would agree to have surgery. I went straight to the hospital, and a few hours later, Mama was having a stent put into one of her arteries. My Mama raised me; we are very close and I love her more than anyone or anything, so of course I spent the entire time in floods of tears and on my knees in prayer.

A couple of months before, we'd made plans to see the Soweto Gospel Choir on the 23rd - which now turned out to be just about 48 hours after her procedure. When Mama came out of the sedation, the first thing she said was, "We're still going to that concert." Those of you who've met my granny will know that while she seems like (and indeed is) a nice old lady, you really don't want to cross her. She's very much a fist of steel in a velvet glove. Characteristically, she would not budge. The doctor was forced to give her permission to leave the hospital for a few hours so she could go to this concert. She wasn't too pleased that he insisted we take along an oxygen tank and a portable defibrillator, but she accepted that was the only way she was getting her way. 

So we went, and the joy she got out of that evening was worth it all. She clapped, she sang along, she gave thanks to the Lord, and somehow, the spark within her grew brighter. I'm sure the Spirit filled her. She was uplifted, and she made a quicker recovery than anyone expected - in fact, she was home for Christmas.  

The SGC is special to me because their music speaks to my soul, and because of that night two Christmases ago.

They make my heart sing, and I hope yours will too.