Reporting from the sunny side

Easter eve. Most people spend this time of the year with their families but for is this easter is different. We’re not going to church, we’re not eating candy and we’re not spending time at Home with lur families. But it’s ok. What we do do is that we’re having church all day long when praising the Lord together Through music, we’re healthy not eating candy and we’re spending time with our heavenly family. It really feel like we’re among brothers and sisters!

Here’s a picture from our lunch break outside. Sun is shining and it’s warm!

The day after

Today it’s monday. I’m totally amazed of how the weekend turned out. We have such a great time together and even though we just spent two and a half day together I can’t wait til thursday to see everybody again.

I went shopping today and ran into Elin Bergstrand, a fellow soprano, and I’ve never been happier to see her than now. She told me about hers and Hannes Perders rehearsal for their solo on one of our songs and how they also long for thursday when we’re back in the studio again. I guess singing really brings you together.

I can’t help but thinking God has something to do with how we all feel so much joy doing what we do and to be around each other. I feel blessed being a part of this.

/ Klara, president and soprano

Pics from first night in the studio

Happy!

Opening night

Finally… here we are! After 7 months, more than 20 meetings and hundreds of hours (or at least it feels like that much) we’re finally here: a few hours from entering the studio! Awesome! I’m so excited about it and can’t wait to get started with the recording!

At the moment I’m finshing the last things that needs to be fixed for the weekend in the studio… and sometimes my mind takes me back to the whole process of the making of this cd: from the beginning and ’til where we are now.  What an amazing, weird, tough, fun, hard, exciting, unusual trip it’s been! I mean come on, it’s not in every lifetime you have the opportunity to record a cd! If you aren’t a musician or whatever… wich I’m not… so… anyway, it’s been unusual for me! But wow, I’ve learned so much!

And I can’t help if I’m steeling Anna’s previous words (well actually I can help it but I won’t care about it) but man… I feel truly blessed and I’m so grateful to know that He led my feet to Örebro, to Joybells and into this, and let me be a part of this amazing journey.

And… I can’t help to notice that I’m writing like it’s the end of everything?! Well it’s not! It’s only the beginning! Everything we’ve been working for so hard is finally here!

Come on ladies and gentlemen, show some love foooor JOYBELLS!

I’m sorry. I got a little out of control. Thank you for having us in your prayers!

/Alma, alto and member of, what was it they called it? The project managing group? You know what I mean.

A Directors Work

Writing sheet music, email song writers, talk to musicians, decide soloists for all songs, read recordlabel deal, plan rehersal day with the choir, have rehersal day with the choir, meet the organisation group for the album over skype, think things over with the board, think about NCB, decide wich album cover, make a song sceduale for the days in the studio, going back and forth to Örebro from Stockholm, trying to fit my regular work into this sceduale, deciding wich sound for the choir, having happy feelings after hearing everything the musicians did, decide to put joybells on spotify or not, making sure everybody knows the harmonies, make the song list for the album, email all the lyrics to my american friend and our pastor, try to answer many good, hard, weird…questions people ask me and think that I know, talk to radio people, write on the blog, find a vocal coach to be in the studio with all the soloists, write new harmonies because they are still not good enough…and the days goes by and soon I will be a proud director of the worlds greatest gospel choir holding our new album. Can’t wait. But we still have a few more exiting weeks to go. I am truly blessed to be a part of this.

Anna Wiborg – director and co-producer

Not an ordinary choir practise

After a long meeting with the board and the project managing group we entered the church for some praising and rehearsing. Everyone is so lookin forward to friday when we’re entering the studio. Can’t wait! Some friends in our church said they wanted to read about other stuff than our snack. I can’t help what the musicians do on there time in the studio but I promise that from friday on we will have much more to tell you. Right now worship fills the room and I have to stop writing. I give you à pic of some of our lovely tenors to brighten your monday night. Blessings! / Klara, president and soprano

Next recording, friday

So, now its just another normal week in between recordings. I’m at work, and the sun is shining outside.

Yesterday Mattias, our pianist, finished his recording. That means that all the music now is recorded, except the horns that will be done in the middle of april. Now it’s just som editing for me to do with the stuf we have recorded the last week. A tambourin to loop here, a kick drum to move around there, a guitar twang to silence there. Some small changes and fixes that will take some time, but hopefully will make everything sound better.
And on friday afternoon, the choir goes into the studio. Yeah! It will be real swell to hear what the choir will sound together ith the band. Can’t wait til friday!

/Daniel, guitarist, recording engineer and co-producer

More from rehearsal day

Singing in our church all day to get the right sound for when the choir enter the studio next weekend. Also listening to the musicians recording from last weekend. We’re so proud of them!

Reahersal day

Just chillin before the next few hours of rehearsing.

Almost a week gone

Its been a few days. Tuesday we completed the guitar recording, and started with the piano. Wednesday and thursday dedicated to piano, add keys and organ. Hopefully Daniel and Mattias completed the tracks tonight. Tomorrow morning we go into session with percussionist Toffe Sjöberg, also heard with Praise Unit. It Will be great and groovy!