[Culturechat] Sachseln Gospel Culture

[Vance Roy]

Culture came to Sachseln tonight by way of The Gospel Wave. Actually, it 
first came two years ago for the first time, but this was only the 
second time there has been the fun of hearing this choir.

Imagine being in the big church in Sachseln, Bruder Klaus sarcophagus 
right down in front, the marble splendor all around you, and seeing a 
group of thirty or so native Swiss men and women all dressed in black 
and white, singing gospel songs as if they were in some little deep 
south church in the country. Also imagine both the choir and the 
audience (for the most part) are caught up in the "spirit". It is as 
much fun to watch these supposedly staid Swiss begin to rock back and 
forth to the music, as it is to see the choir pulsate to and fro.

Now, I am a southern boy through and through. Except for my present 
residence and the two years that I was a POW in Boston, I grew up with 
this music. Not in my church understand, but in the churches where the 
black folks spent all Sunday putting forth this gospel singing. I hope I 
don't have to convince anyone that a given choir of white people can't 
hold a candle to a black choir. I have seen black church buildings 
literally moved with the spirit.

I have to say that both times that I have heard this Swiss group, I 
could shut my eyes and "almost" feel the room move with their rhythm, as 
it used to do. The funny thing is that most of these folks don't have 
enough English vocabulary to be called English speakers. They can learn 
the music and the moves though. I guess they watch a lot of videos of 
American choirs.

For an hour plus, we had a real treat to songs as, "Satan, We Are Going 
to Pray You Down" and "Jesus Dropped the Charges". If the old saint is 
really in that sarcophagus, I'll bet there were some toes tapping in 
there too!
-- 
Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch.