Unusual Choirs

Recently I was part of an a cappella group. What I like about singing with people is having a part that suits my range, and making an important contribution to the whole. Tonight I went to a performance and lecture event at the Gardiner Museum. The theme was New Directions in Choral Music.

An improv group, The Element Choir, performed a piece and director Christine Duncan spoke about how she developed hand cues. She researched various systems and borrowed from sources she credits. One was particularly interesting: Phil Minton. He runs workshops with homeless people, and started The Feral Choir. To illustrate her method, Duncan led the crowd in a fun demonstration.

Choir! Choir! Choir! also did an audience sing along. Founders Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman taught us an arrangement of Wham’s Last Christmas in 10 minutes. Their enthusiasm came across clearly. Daveed taught the parts and played accompaniment on guitar. Once all three sections could carry their parts Nobu soloed on top. The lightness of the material and the size of the group meant that I didn’t feel intimidated. It sounded great. It felt even better. I think there’s something about singing that loosens something personal from deep inside.