Marieke Streuding - Niederlande
When I was ten years old, two wonderful things happened. First, my parents discovered the Oslo Gospel Choir, and second, the movie Sister Act was released. After that, all I wanted to be was Sister Mary Clarence, swinging and singing about the good news.
I had to be patient because it wasn’t until I was 30 that I finally found a choir in my area that sang the same music I loved so much: Gospelkoor Dabar. Back then, Gert Jan Mulder was the choir director, and he inspired me to take my singing to another level. The circle was complete when I got the solo parts for Jesus Is Lord (a song from the Oslo Gospel Choir) and Joyful (a song from the second Sister Act movie).
In 2019, I truly became Sister Mary Clarence because I became the choir director myself. Leading the choir and (hopefully!) inspiring them has been a dream come true. Still, I like to sing a solo myself every now and then. Being able to sing at the Bottroper Gospelnacht, with so many talented people and my friend Gerald, is a humbling experience I’m very grateful for.
