OHF Community Gospel Choir

FAQ

I like to sing by myself (like in the shower) but I'm not a "singer". Can I join?

Yes!! We want YOU! There are no auditions and no one will make you sing a solo if you don't want to. I can teach people to sing; all you need to do is be willing to try and to practice.

How often do you perform?

We have not performed very often in the last couple of years because of the "numbers game". Our numbers are few at the moment, and to perform well we have to have a certain number of singers, and unfortunately because of various personal schedules, we haven't been able to get that number to perform more frequently. That's one of the reasons we hope you'll join. :o)

Unlike many concert choirs, we do not have a set number of performances throughout the year. Most often, we are asked to sing at various community events, such as worship services, weddings, funerals, interfaith gatherings, etc. It is the director's hope that we will get enough new members to plan an Anniversary concert for April 2009.

How long has this choir been around?

The national organization just celebrated its tenth anniversary. The Huntsville choir, small yet mighty, has been active since April 2001.

Why do you rehearse on Wednesdays?

We originally started rehearsing on Wednesdays because that was the night when most people could attend. After several years of having many people who indicated they'd like to join the choir but couldn't attend on Wednesdays, we switched to Tuesday nights. Not one of those folks showed up and we actually lost a few of our Wednesday regulars, we switched back and have stayed on Wednesdays.

Aren't you a Baha'i choir?

There's actually two answers to that question: yes AND no.

No, we are not a Baha'i choir in the sense that the choir is independent of the Baha'i community, the choir does not exist for promoting the Baha'i Faith, we do not perform in response to the worship needs of the Baha'i community, and we would love to have anyone of any faith who would like to participate to join.

And yes, it is a Baha'i choir in the sense that the original founders of OHF are Baha'is, unity and the elimination of prejudices are extremely important tenets of the Baha'i Faith, and some of our original music draws from Baha'i Scriptures. Locally, the director is a Baha'i and we have used the Huntsville Baha'i Center as a rehearsal space because she has a key.

So perhaps the best way to categorize the choir is as a multifaith, multiethnic choir with strong Baha'i participation.

 Do you have CDs available for sale?

They are available online at Live Unity, Divine Notes and Baha'i Distribution Service.  They can also be obtained from the national organization.

Will the choir sing at my event?

 We'd sure like to; the more advance notice you can give us, the better.  We have sung for $ and we have sung for free - it just depends on what the circumstance is.  Contact the director at: dir_ohf_al@comcast.net.

 
How can I find out what's going on with the local choir?

You can ask to be put on the "local email" list, where you'll get regular emails about upcoming rehearsals and events weekly. 

Or you can ask to be put on the "local friend" list, where you'll hear from us 4 to 8 times a year about what's going on. 

Or if you'd like, you can be put on the "spamflash" list which is a very informal email newsletter that goes out to OHFies around the world approxiamtely once a month.

To receive any/all of these emails, please send an email to helenkosings@comcast.net

and please list which list or lists by name in the body of the email that you'd like to receive. Your email address will never be given out to anyone else and you can stop receiving the emails at anytime you wish.