Coastal Sound Youth Choir's Indiekor has a lot in store
Band of Horses didn’t sell out the Vogue in 2013. Earl Sweatshirt failed too. And even Cold War Kids didn’t fill the hall.
But you know who did? Vancouver’s Coastal Sound Youth Choir.
Introducing indie music into the repertoire of one of Canada’s premier choral groups, conductor Carrie Tennant opened the door to a whole new audience. Juxtaposing tracks from artists like Dan Mangan, the New Pornographers and Belle and Sebastian with classical heavyweights like Mendelssohn and Monteverdi, Tennant created Indiekör: the highlight of the Coastal Sound Youth Choir’s calendar. Now entering its fifth and final year, the eclectic show promises a lyrical journey that breaks a whole lot of boundaries.
“I spend the year leading up to the show programming a concert that’s half indie rock, half classical or choral music—and I partner those pieces together,” Tennant tells the Straight on the line from her Vancouver home. “Last year we sang a song by Rachmaninoff, and then segued into Arcade Fire because they both share this spirit of revolution in the lyrics and in the structure. I sometimes explain to the audience why I’ve put those two tracks together, but often I just let the audience think for themselves as they listen.
“That’s the key to our popularity, I think,” she continues. “The young people in the audience are going crazy for Rachmaninoff. They’re like ‘Oh, what dat? Oh my godddd!’ And then the parents and grandparents are there saying ‘Arcade Fire? I don’t know who they are, but that was really powerful.’ The kids and I are really proud of that mix.”
Ok, we’ll admit it—it does sound a little bit Glee. Like the bubblegum TV show, Indiekör’s performers are doubtless wrestling with a number of personal issues as they gallantly sing their hearts out to escape from the everyday realities of puberty. But Indiekör’s members are keen to dispel that comparison.
“It drives us crazy when people say we’re trying to make choir ‘cool,’” Tennant says with a laugh. “Obviously we believe passionately that choir is already cool. We’re not trying to stuff any of our indie songs into a choral box like Glee does, or even groups like Pentatonix. We literally sing the music as if we were a 65-voice band.”
Reinforced with backing from Vancouver indie mainstays the Salteens, the choir have a solid foundation from which to let those voices loose. Steeped in musical training, the Salteens’ brand of indie pop is characterised by sweeping brass arrangements, tight harmonies, and multi-instrumentation. Offering a special versatility to the Indiekör show, the Salteens’ orchestration of the choir’s modern and classical music connects the past with the present—and connection is, Tennant says, what Indiekör is all about.
“I think the reason that we’re able to sell out The Vogue is because the show taps into a really deep need in our culture. People are starved for ways to bond together right now, and we help fill that gap. The audience leaves our show feeling affirmed, because we make it a communal experience. I make the whole venue get involved twice in each show—and 1100 people singing the Beatles’ “In My Life” together is a really powerful moment. With us, people can unite.”
Sporting a trophy cabinet full of national awards, the Coastal Sound Youth Choir knows how to put on a great show – and Indiekör promises to be the jewel in the crown.
Are we saying they’re better than Band of Horses, Earl Sweatshirt, and Cold War Kids?
The box office certainly thinks so.
Indiekör is at The Vogue Theatre on Saturday (June 11). Tickets are available here.
Follow Kate Wilson on Twitter.
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