Durham Pop-Up Chorus - no auditions
August 30, 2015 8:27 AM Subscribe
The Pop-Up Chorus in Durham, NC. has no auditions. Once a month, anyone can show up and sing - people of all ages do. Imperfection is embraced.
Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
How Can You Really? - Foxygen
Africa - Toto
No Rest for the Wicked - Lykke Li
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Their YouTube Channel
Previously on Metafilter, the Chapel Hill Chorus Project
Pop-Up Chorus is a program of the Community Chorus Project.
Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
How Can You Really? - Foxygen
Africa - Toto
No Rest for the Wicked - Lykke Li
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Their YouTube Channel
Previously on Metafilter, the Chapel Hill Chorus Project
Pop-Up Chorus is a program of the Community Chorus Project.
Also, the guy in the "XII" shirt in the Lykke Li song is getting crazy into it.
posted by miguelcervantes at 8:44 AM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by miguelcervantes at 8:44 AM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is like group karakoke. Amazing. I want one in Chicago.
posted by Fig at 9:37 AM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Fig at 9:37 AM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
My wife has been going to Choir! Choir! Choir! here in Toronto every week for years. They sing at all kinds of events and big concerts, it's like a big thing now.
I went when they did "God Only Knows" and I'm in the video so I'm not linking to it.
posted by chococat at 9:42 AM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
I went when they did "God Only Knows" and I'm in the video so I'm not linking to it.
posted by chococat at 9:42 AM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
You mean this link?
I had never heard of Choir! Choir! Choir! before, this is impressive. Now I wish I had thought of doing the post on community choirs in general. Dangit.
posted by bunderful at 9:49 AM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
I had never heard of Choir! Choir! Choir! before, this is impressive. Now I wish I had thought of doing the post on community choirs in general. Dangit.
posted by bunderful at 9:49 AM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh, this is so wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
posted by shibori at 9:53 AM on August 30, 2015
posted by shibori at 9:53 AM on August 30, 2015
Hey! Pop-Up Chorus! I live in Durham and went to Pop-Up a fair amount back in the day. I even met my boyfriend there. I don't go much anymore, but it is a super-cool thing. It's just so fun to sing in a group of people.
And the director, Seamus, did a great job striking the right balance of "let's improve this a little bit so we can be proud of our progress" without getting too hung up on trying to make it perfect. Having it be ragged but fun is the point. He used to give a little speech/pep-talk at each one that was all about how singing, especially singing with others, is part of our birthright as humans and everyone should feel like they have the chance to sing; it doesn't matter if you are "good" or not.
There was a (fairly amicable) split recently between the director and the woman who was sort of producer/co-creator of it. So now there are two pop-ups in Durham, though one of them will go by the name Flash Chorus and one of them will keep the Pop-Up Chorus name.
Also, the guy in the "XII" shirt in the Lykke Li song is getting crazy into it.
He is always like that. It's pretty great. He wrote a cool thing about why Pop-Up means so much to him.
It's cool to see this here. Thanks for posting it!
posted by aka burlap at 10:27 AM on August 30, 2015 [6 favorites]
And the director, Seamus, did a great job striking the right balance of "let's improve this a little bit so we can be proud of our progress" without getting too hung up on trying to make it perfect. Having it be ragged but fun is the point. He used to give a little speech/pep-talk at each one that was all about how singing, especially singing with others, is part of our birthright as humans and everyone should feel like they have the chance to sing; it doesn't matter if you are "good" or not.
There was a (fairly amicable) split recently between the director and the woman who was sort of producer/co-creator of it. So now there are two pop-ups in Durham, though one of them will go by the name Flash Chorus and one of them will keep the Pop-Up Chorus name.
Also, the guy in the "XII" shirt in the Lykke Li song is getting crazy into it.
He is always like that. It's pretty great. He wrote a cool thing about why Pop-Up means so much to him.
It's cool to see this here. Thanks for posting it!
posted by aka burlap at 10:27 AM on August 30, 2015 [6 favorites]
I love seeing the range of people in these videos. Tall and short, grey-headed folk next to kids, conservatively dressed women in neat blouses with careful bobs, chicks with pink hair, dudes who look like they might belong to motorcycle clubs, nerds.
They look like they are having so much fun together. It makes me happy.
posted by bunderful at 10:50 AM on August 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
They look like they are having so much fun together. It makes me happy.
posted by bunderful at 10:50 AM on August 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
Neat! I'll be in Durham next weekend.
No keys in that band, though?
posted by emelenjr at 1:37 PM on August 30, 2015
No keys in that band, though?
posted by emelenjr at 1:37 PM on August 30, 2015
I have never wanted to do something I learned about on Metafilter so much. I am literally bouncing in my seat with tears of joy in my eyes, and I live just one state (OK, and 6 1/2 hours) away. Thank you!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 1:44 PM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 1:44 PM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
Ah, that was wonderful. Why is it that seeing ordinary people, singing together joyfully, always makes me cry? Whether it's "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway park or that video of the rock bands in a small Italian town playing a Foo Fighters song, I'm almost always moved to tears. But in a good way. Thanks for sharing this.
posted by WordCannon at 2:21 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by WordCannon at 2:21 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
There is so much happy in this. Especially the Africa one.
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 2:51 PM on August 30, 2015
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 2:51 PM on August 30, 2015
My advice is: if you've ever even vaguely toyed with the idea of joining a choir, then just do it. Do it! It is amazing.
posted by Samarium at 2:54 PM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Samarium at 2:54 PM on August 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
Many of my friends do this! Just the other day there was an excited shout of glee down the hall: "The Cure and ABBA!! WE HAVE TO GO!!"
posted by Stewriffic at 10:23 AM on August 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Stewriffic at 10:23 AM on August 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by miguelcervantes at 8:42 AM on August 30, 2015 [8 favorites]