News just in:
Ooberfuse will play at Hyde Park!
But that's not all: their single 'Hearts Cry' is out!
After meeting each other at First Sunday in Farm Street back in November, Cherrie Anderson, Hal St. John and Cornel Sorian formed the band the world now knows as Ooberfuse. Recognising each others' talents, and recognising they 'had the Church’s enthusiasm to take music and infest it with a spirit… a power', they stormed the headlines when their track Hearts Cry was chosen to become the youth anthem of the Papal Visit.
It can't be easy to reinvigorate a 2000 year old Gospel message, but this vibrant group of young Catholics challenge people 'out of their ordinary everyday way of thinking, and through music try to get them to think in a more enlightened way'. Hal mentions that Jesus' teachings were human and down to earth. What is human and down to earth for us? Could it be to 'Go help the poorest of the poor lying dying in the gutter, like Theresa of Calcutta', which is how very few of us are called to serve God. Or could it simply be that 'She is the force of raging passion, melting hearts with Love’s compassion' which I interpret to be a beautiful personified image of the Catholic Church? The Church is an everyday, human kinda thing for us. So if the Catholic Church is the woman, then in her womb, one will find Jesus. 'Jesus is there in the tabernacle, but we forget somehow that he’s also there in our hearts. If we listen to it and respond to it, we’re encouraged to do something to raise up the fallen, change the ugliness of the world, and make it more beautiful'.
Ooberfuse are set to play their biggest gig yet - the youth vigil at Hyde Park this Saturday. In fact, they're willing to set up a keyboard so that Pope B (who is a very capable pianist) can jam along too. However, should they be declined by His Holiness, don't worry, he features in their track anyway :) Cherrie described how only one sample of Pope Benedict's message was not enough, and so 'Hatred will never reign in the hearts of men again' was included into the mix. 'He’s got such a strong German accent', says Hal, '– it’s very difficult to, extract the words from the speech where it can stand by itself in this context. He’s got a very very delicate gentleness. And I’m sure that’s because he’s in touch with a finer connection with the human soul, the human spirit – particularly in that address. It couldn’t have been a more charged atmosphere. He’s addressing predominantly Jewish congregation effectively reminiscing or remembering people who have lost their lives in the Holocaust. That’s such a delicate subject. Also the fact that he was German… You can feel the electricity in the air in his address.'
Their deep sense of gratitude, happiness and excitement are clear in their faces as they share with me how their new found fame provides them the opportunity to focus on the Church's mission and 'express the deeper aspects of their faith through music'. Of course with this new found fame comes the bad too. Negative publicity for example. But they are well prepared for this, and I'm praying that the strength of their faith will take them through any difficult times ahead: '...the core of the song is a pure message of Christianity, or what we interpret is the pure message of Christianity. The Church, as far as we’re concerned is set up for one purpose, and that is to advance the teachings of Christ. We’re trying to stay focused on what the Church’s mission is, not on the kind of… human fallen aspects'.
There could be some traditionalists who would disagree with the Gospel message being shared in this manner (although I think that one shouldn't misinterpret traditionalism with aesthetic opinion, so I think the total number of such thinkers would be few). However, this medium of spreading the message of love can be wider accepted and understood by people who might not normally get to hear God's love manifested through talented individuals united in the harmony of God's voice. In essence, Ooberfuse are the Christian lights that should be embraced, for it is also our duty to embrace all our breathren - and if but one breathren hears that quintessential message of God's love, then we also do right by our Christian duty. 'Even if you don’t go to Church, and don’t know about the Christian message, you’d listen to that, and you’d think… well this is about love. You’d be able to identify it. There’s so many levels you can identify with the song. If you’re Christian, you conceive the Christian message. If you’re not Christian, you can understand that love beats in your heart.'
So... what are you waiting for? Download their track from iTunes as soon as you can! Live and spread the Gospel message by telling all your mates to fork out all of 79p on this track and be doing these two things:
1) Supporting their work!
2) Getting Pope Benedict XVI onto the UK singles chart!
Don't forget also to follow them on twitter @ooberfuse, and subscribe to their video channel! Plus visit their website every now and then - as they are soon to release an album ^_^
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