The Chor Leoni Men’s Choir has impressed Vancouver audiences on numerous occasions, including at its sombre annual Remembrance Day concerts and with its rich, spiritual songs at the VanMan Choral Summit. Now, to end its season, the 67 men in the choir plan to let their hair down with a raucous show of popular music.

Popcappella II will feature songs by The Weeknd, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Cliff, A-ha, Irving Berlin, Indigo Girls, and others.

“A lot of times when choirs do these types of programs, maybe there’s a soloist in front and the choir does some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as the backup,” Chor Leoni artistic director Erick Lichte tells the Straight by phone. “That’s really not how we approach this. We do a lot of in-house arrangements. We’re really trying to take this music on.”

So anyone in the mood to hear dozens of men joyously singing Wonder’s “For Once in My Life” will have to be at St. Andrew’s–Wesley United on June 25, where Chor Leoni is the choir in residence.

The venue will make this concert unlike any other pop concert in town, according to Lichte.

“We have those amazing acoustics,” he says with enthusiasm. “We also have the pipe organ.”

Lichte says that this will be a real treat when the men sing Arcade Fire’s “Intervention” from the Neon Bible album.

Arcade Fire and The Weeknd aren’t the only Canadian connections in Popcappella II.  There will also be songs by Tegan and Sara, Caribou, and Jodi Proznick.

Proznick will also play bass as part of the band backing up Chor Leoni, along with percussionist Liam MacDonald and guitarist Keith Sinclair. Tim Woodford, the director of music at St. Andrew’s–Wesley United, will play the church’s recently restored Casavant organ.

The Chor Leoni singers have decided to make this concert mask-optional.

This means it will be the first time since the pandemic’s start that the audience will be able to see singers’ faces.

“That’s been a tricky decision to make, but it’s one that the choir has wanted to do,” Lichte says. “We’ve been able to commune with sound with the choir singing live, but this takes it to a whole other place. And I can’t think of better music than this to be connecting with and seeing those faces.”

He adds that some performers will still be wearing masks, and the group is encouraging audience members to also wear them.

“We are all triple-vaxxed,” Lichte declares. “We are rehearsing with the masks on but we’re taking that hour and 15 minutes and spreading guys out on the stage.

"Thankfully, we have a huge stage that we can create at St. Andrew’s," he continues. "And really good ventilation is the other thing, too.”