How politically correct is Brighton? I’ll tell you. This local Gospel choir’s Website carries the following warning to those aspiring to join it:
Although we are a non denominational [sic], some of the songs taught do include religious references i.e. Jesus/Lord.
However we wish to emphasise our aim is merely to celebrate the style of Gospel singing.
Non-denominational my arse. They’re obviously Church of England.
This is the bit that should scare audiences though:
Brighton goes Gospel is a non-religious choir, open to all irrespective of race, religion or ability.
At last, a Gospel choir that brings an end to cruel and arbitrary discrimination against tone-deaf white atheists with no sense of rhythm.
Have you ever seen a similar warning in advertisements for auditions for an amateur classical choir’s Messiah?
[I]rrespective of … ability.
Cool! The Brighton tone cluster. My teeth are hurting at the thought.
“..tone-deaf white atheists with no sense of rhythm…”
That’s me!
A whole choir of people who look like Gene Wilder in Silver Streak pretending to be black. Now that I would pay to see.
tone-deaf white atheists with no sense of rhythm
Well, they may not have been gospel choirs, but you’ve just described a whole load of school assemblies that I’ve been forced to sit in on….
I’ve sung with a gospel choir myself and the reason why we felt it necessary to point out that you don’t have to be a Christian to join is because if we didn’t, then we wouldn’t of had many of the brilliant non-christian members that we’ve been fortunate to attract over the years. I’d suggest that perhaps this choir in Brighton think the same way.
I think what you say makes perfect sense, rekka; what puzzles me is why they feel the need to be so apologetic about it. It’s like the BNP warning people that at some of their meetings they might use words like “immigration”/”asylum-seeker”. They’re a Gospel choir; what part of “the word of God” don’t people understand? Actually, I could have phrased that better…
heh, I know what you mean. I think maybe that in their effort to attract non-christian members they go a bit to far and kind-of trip themselves up a little bit.
Nice blog btw, I just stumbled across it.