The Spirit of Gospel, The Spirit of DGC!
Posted by Brother Richard - November 5th, 2006It has been quite a while since I posted on this Blog! To be honest, I think Kevin has been doing a wonderful job keeping you all up to date on the joys of being a member of the DGC! However, once in a while an event happens that makes me reach for the keybord again in order to let all and sundry know what an amazing gift being a part of the DGC is. “What could possibly have prodded me to make such a remark?” I hear you cry; well only the fact that on Tuesday we will be launching our new album, a fact that you may well have seen mentioned elsewhere on this site. (And if you didn’t notice then shame on you…you’re not paying attention….go now and check out a few of the songs on our music page…I’ll still be here when you get back…)
OK…so you’re back and I bet you’re humming at least one of the tracks and have already made up your mind to go get the album…So let’s talk about it for a mo… Aptly titled “Moving On” it is a celebration of ten years of Gospel Music in Ireland as well as looking forward to all that is yet to come. Yes, in 1996 when there were far less grey hairs upon this head of mine, we saw the first Gospel Concert take place in our little Capuchin Franciscan Church of St. Mary of the Angels, Church st. D7. Little did I suspect that ten years later Gospel would still be at the centre of my work and that the DGC would have been formed from that first choir over the intervening years.
You can be sure that there has been a lot of learning over those years and many blessings received, and friendships made (and even a few tears wiped away); but perhaps the greatest joy is seeing so many people in so many places being touched by the Spirit and message of the Gospel through the DGC. I’ve seen people brought to tears of joy and healing through the music, and we have even left a trail of Gospel Choirs behind us in many of the parishes and youth groups we have worked with. I’ve seen theatre audiences on their feet shouting for more and churches full of young people where before they have been half empty. You see, from the start of Gospel in Church St we have always seen ourselves as Franciscan in spirit and inspiration. Now St. Francis didn’t wait for people to come to him to hear the Gospel being preached, oh no! He went out to the people and preached and sang wherever and whenever he could get them to listen… and that is the spirit of the DGC too! We will not confine this music and its message to a Church building…we go wherever the Spirit has provided hearts to hear, hands to clap and feet to dance! And you know what? In going out like that to theatres and venues up and down the country…we have brought many of our listeners back to celebrate Gospel Music in Church with us.
In a very real way that is what this Album celebrates, that for the past ten years a quiet revolution has been taking place in Churches and Communities and Theatres up and down the country, a Gospel Revolution! Last night we sang in a little, but very fine, theatre in Ratoath to a crowd that had largely never heard us perform before…and once again I saw the music of the DGC touch the spirit of that crowd until in the end they were shouting for more and the manager was saying he wanted us back there again… Yes, something powerful and blessed had happened, something that has been happening for the past ten years wherever Gospel Music has been sung…something that we hope will happen for a very long time to come as we keep “Moving On” into the future, and who knows something that may even happen to you as you listen to the message behind the music of the DGC! The eternal message of the Gospel. So come on, celebrate with us this milestone in Gospel Music history in Ireland and come see us soon…we’ll be expecting you!
Until the next time…and I promise it won’t be so long!
Peace and Blessing to you all!
Brother Richard.