Exclusive Interview with Choirmaster Joachim

What motivates Joachim to turn up to choir week after week?

(Photo: St Dominic Parish & Domus Pacis)

During this rain period it would be much easier and better for everyone to stay at their hostels in front of the laptop watch movies and may be drink tea. So what motivates you to wrap up warm, leave the hostel and brave the cold to get to choir?

 

Choir master on it

We recently gave an interview to Mr. Joachim Choirmaster of Good News. One of the questions was: “What keeps you motivated?” I like to sing, but mostly I love to hear the amazing harmonies that the choir make as a group. No matter how tired I am or how reluctant I am to leave the hostel, my spirits are always lifted — without fail — when the singing starts. I leave more energized and uplifted than when I arrived. But that is still not enough on its own to get me to choir each week at Domus Pacis or anywhere the choir has activity. The love and happiness I found at GNC and secondly the love I had for singing and music as well. I used to feel like I can’t give up and I wanted to join others and sing for the Lord. My answer to that question is: commitment and responsibility.

Joachim isn't only a singer but also a writer

I have made a professional commitment to turn up each week to run the choir. I am responsible for leading the singers each week, so I need to be there. And it’s not about the money! The same applies to the singers in the choir. You have a commitment to be there for the other choir members and a responsibility to turn up knowing your part and contributing fully. It’s no good thinking that you won’t be missed. If everyone thought that, there would be no Good News Choir! See you are the most important singer in your choir. It’s also not good if you turn up, but don’t participate fully.

Many people state that Mr. Joachim is one of the best choirmasters how does that sound to you?

Being a choirmaster is a good responsibility for it is all about working for the Lord but again it is not an easy task for it requires you to sacrifice yourself for others, when you have good singers you do it together and achieve common success. As vocation I lead choir members remembering what St Augustin said that "He who sings well praises twice". well “Am not the best ever but I try the bests I can to be the best I can be by practicing daily several music instruments and try learning something new from my fellow colleagues apart from what I learnt back in High School” says Joachim. 

Apart from that Joachim revealed also six basic qualities that a good choir master should have which are:

1. Enthusiasm

A good choral director needs to have an enthusiasm for choral singing, for song, and for music in general. But more than this, their enthusiasm needs to be infectious and inspirational. They need to sweep the whole choir along with their enthusiasm, excitement and vision.

2. Fun

Any decent choir leader must have an excellent sense of humour and needs to maintain and atmosphere of fun in rehearsal and in performance. Most people join a choir because they want to enjoy themselves and have a good time. Excellent music-making will naturally follow.

3. Decisiveness                                                 

A choral director needs to be prepared and know what they are doing and what they want to achieve. You can’t be clear if you don’t know what you want! It helps if your decisions are consistent and you don’t change from rehearsal to rehearsal. Choir members need to know that you’re in charge and that you have an end result in mind. They don’t want waffle and vagueness.

4. Clarity

A good choir leader will be very clear with their instructions and directions. Choir members need to know what’s happening at all stages of rehearsal and performance without any confusion or ambiguity. They need to know that they’re in a good, safe pair of hands, that the director knows what they want and is clear in passing that information on.

5. Musicality

A good choral director doesn’t necessarily have to have studied music, know music theory, be able to read music or play an instrument. But they do need to have a deep, intuitive understanding of how music and harmony works. They need a strong sense of musicality.

6. Patience

Maybe this is the most important quality, especially with a community or non-professional choir. Learning songs and perfecting performances takes time. Not everyone learns at the same rate. Not everyone understands in the same way. Un-learning bad habits takes a long time. Some people may still be learning to sing in tune, whilst others are able to improvise harmonies. You need to have a great deal of patience to be able to make allowances for all these different needs. That’s where a good sense of humour comes in!

In addition to that a good choirmaster also should have love for his/her people, respect each and everyone never feel like you are at epic and everyone else at your feet, forgo yourself, never give up when choir members are not learning that fast, and lastly do not discriminate choir members.

Mr Joachim do you regret leaving GNC? No, am excited a bit about it because during whole time here I’ve served at my bests and am also excited that am leaving GNC in a good shape than I found it.

what are your plans for CVC? If I get chances to stay in Kigali am willing and read to serve Jesus my Lord and Savior at Christus Vincit Choir, I will contribute in its development with all I have mainly music skills, I will serve as good as I can. Through cooperation I will learn from them as good as they will learn from me. to see other people going together with Joachim to CVC click CVC to receive new members this summer

Any last word Mr Joachim? I am good and proud

Author: GNC - IT Team