When Mo told me I would be running the Berakah choir with him last year my first emotion was fear – that most common of emotions when facing the unknown – having never run a choir before. And I do believe the wonderful singers we had in that first term were a little apprehensive themselves, none of them really knowing what to expect. On that very first session I was like a rabbit in the headlights with lots of baby rabbits staring at me like I was the headlight. It was quite disconcerting but the reason we all found ourselves in that uncomfortable situation was because we knew we had a common goal in sight – a goal that kept us there and prevented us from running – that it is possible to be unified regardless of race, gender or belief system. That cohesion can work when idiosyncratic detail is swept to the sidelines and a group’s focus is towards peace, love and acceptance. And with music as our medium, that beautiful universal language we all understand, work it did. As the weekly singing sessions gathered momentum, all our fears gradually slipped away to be replaced with joyous harmony, much laughter and an unspoken bond – that where we are prepared to face fear and the unknown, a little bit of courage and acceptance goes a long, long way.

When the choir starts again at the end of the summer, I’ll still be a little nervous as we will undoubtedly have some new singers and fresh song challenges. However I will remind myself that this is our place, our small role in trying to encourage more love and peace between humans on the earth. And in accepting that role together, we can only move ever forward and unified towards that greatest of goals.

Lots of love

Chantelle xx