Here Comes the Hallelujah Singers!

10 March 2013 by James Hoh CM-

 

Little did I know that one of the tips for warming up before singing in a choir is to really smile!  “God wants us to smile because it relaxes the cheek bone muscle and we have got really good reasons to smile because we know God,” this was what Maeda ‘sensei’ told the ‘Hallelujah Singers’.   

 

 

‘Hallelujah Singers’ are a unique bunch of people because they are not professional singers neither are they a well-trained church choir. In fact, the only thing in common among them that I could think of is that they love God. This was precisely what I have been told, that the only qualification to sing in this choir is a love for God.    

The 16-member choir comprises of Christians from more than 10 different churches and one of them is a music teacher from a Bible school in Singapore. So different is their background that sometimes language can be a little bit of problem especially for the two or three Japanese believers.

“I am very happy that although they are from other churches, they are very faithful members of their own churches. Some of them would like to sing in their own churches but they were not given opportunities.” Rev Mayumi Yamazaki being the organizer of the choir explained.

 

 

“But our main purpose is to reach out to non-believers. Many churches do evangelistic meetings in their premises but they are different because they go out to the people, and they can go anywhere to sing.” She indicated that there are possibilities of bringing the ‘Hallelujah Singers’ to other Asian countries.

Rev Mayumi flew in Maeda who is a vocal teacher in a Japanese university. Maeda usually performs opera and musical dramas in Japan and he has an excellent voice too.

 

 

Rev Mayumi who is married to a Christian business man has been in Malaysia for more than 30 years. She helped Yamaha when it first started here in Malaysia. A few years ago, we cross path when she did her Masters in Alpha Omega International College, PJ. This courageous pastor is the main pastor of the Japan Church in Malaysia (JCM-Agape), also the only church that serves the Japanese resident in Malaysia.

 

 

‘Dry-bones’, ‘Amen’, ‘Hallelujah’,  ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’, ‘United We Stand’, ‘Arigato’ are some other songs that they sing. They also sing hymns and Christmas songs at certain occasions. In the future, they may even try singing in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandrin.

What are other warming-up tips besides smiling? 

The answer: Yawning and relaxing.

Join the ‘Hallelujah Singers’ if you really want to know how to sing well. If you would like Maeda sensei to conduct a workshop or sing in your church, kindly contact Rev Mayumi at pcimayum@streamyx.com.

P/S: No audition is required for joining the choir!

 

  

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