Gospel music is growing in popularity.
Over the past couple of years, Finnish congregations have established several gospel choirs, and this autumn Jyväskylä parish's new choir saw a surge in applications. So many people applied that the parish had to raise the participation cap from 50 to 120.
Nationwide, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland says that gospel's popularity is on the rise.
Gospel is rhythmic spiritual music with roots in African-American culture. The word 'gospel' means 'good news.' As a Christian music genre, gospel is more energetic than classical choral music. A gospel choir is often accompanied by a band, and singers incorporate dance into their performances.
Jyväskylä is not the only city where gospel is gaining ground.
Teija Tuukkanen of the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland said that several gospel choirs have been established in Finland over the past couple of years.
The change reflects Finnish church music becoming more diverse.
"You no longer have to be so serious — you can also embrace joy. The choir, for example, is allowed to dance in church," Tuukkanen explained.
Helsinki, Kokkola, Tammisaari, Tampere and Kuopio now have gospel choirs. This autumn, new choirs have also started in Lappeenranta and Saarijärvi, in addition to Jyväskylä.
Gospel has also attracted people who might not otherwise have been interested in joining a church choir, according to Tuukkanen.
Nowadays, younger church music directors often have a background in popular rather than classical music, helping to fuel the trend. Tuukkanen also noted that improved language skills among congregants and church staff have made it easier to include English-language music in services.
Jyväskylä parish's gospel choir performs songs in their original language, English.
