Voices of Unity: Four Cultural Choirs join for Archdiocesan Assembly

St Christopher’s Cathedral Music Director and Coordinator of the Intercultural Choir, Jaki Kane, said the Vietnamese, African, Filipino, and Indian choirs will unite to form an Intercultural Choir at the Opening Prayer Service of the Archdiocesan Assembly.

The unique sound of four cultural choirs united in harmony will mark the Opening Prayer Service of the Archdiocesan Assembly this October.

St Christopher’s Cathedral Music Director and Coordinator of the Intercultural Choir, Jaki Kane, said the Vietnamese, African, Filipino, and Indian choirs would meet for the first time this month to merge their vastly different styles.

“These are choirs that primarily sing at their own church services but are also an important cultural part of their communities,” she explained.

“We don’t know what the end result will be, but we know we will achieve what we set out to achieve – the cooperation and community that comes from people of different languages coming together and singing together.”

Jaki said each choir would sing one or two hymns in its own language during the service, followed by a whole-group performance.

“It isn’t just for the performance – it is about the idea of singing in a choir and how that relates to the Assembly, which is also a collection of voices and an expression of those voices.”

The African and Filipino cultural choirs perform at church services.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse said the prayer service would include ecumenical leaders in commitment to collaboration beyond the Catholic community.

“This event is very much in the Catholic faith but extends beyond it as well,” he said.

“The launch of a multi-migrant choir will serve as a beautiful metaphor for unity, symbolising how diverse individuals can come together in harmony. Although many, we can sing together in a way pleasing to God.”

Jaki said a choir was an excellent model for an Assembly.

“When you sing, you focus on using your body, vocal cords and muscles to produce a pleasing sound,” she said.

“When you sing in a choir, of course, you do this also, but there is one more important thing than that – you listen.”

The musical result is, hopefully, more beautiful and powerful than any individual voice in the choir.

“This is the foundation of the Assembly,” Jaki continued.

“We come together to speak, to express our thoughts and hopes, but most importantly, we listen. And through listening we sense the struggles and the desires of the individuals within our community.

“There may not be consensus or agreement, but no individual voice dominates; every voice is heard.”