Viral Canadian choir bringing vocal stylings to Regina Folk Fest
Choir! Choir! Choir! will perform Canadian songbook in the Queen City
For some Toronto singers it's a weekly activity, but for people around the world Choir! Choir! Choir! Has become a musical obsession.
The singing group, which sometimes attracts thousands of people, turns pop songs into choral works.
Next week they'll be in the Queen City for the Regina Folk Festival.
Co-leader Daveed Goldman says they'll be singing some Canadian classics and getting the audience involved throughout their set.
The choir gathers twice a week at a bar called Clinton's Tavern in Toronto. Goldman said he and Nobu Adilman started it out of boredom during the winter of 2011.
"It started there and it never stopped," he said.
The choir grew quickly and at a rate of one song per practise, they've garnered quite the musical repertoire.
But they don't take themselves too seriously. In fact, anyone who wants to join in can, without having to audition. Goldman said you don't even have to be able to sing.
"It's interactive, it's fun, it's very loose. But hopefully we create these sort of moments that people remember, tattoo these songs on their brain and then we can do many things with them," Goldman said.
One of those things is putting their songs online, whether it be on SoundCloud, YouTube or Facebook live.
With nearly 6,000,000 million views on YouTube alone, their collaborative performance of Hallelujah with Rufus Wainwright is definitely their most famous. Goldman said he was glad Leonard Cohen got to see it before he died.
Throughout the years, the choir has gone from practising in a small Toronto office, to performing at events all over the city and the country. They've even been invited to special performances in the United States.
Through their online fame, they've gotten to perform at Carnegie Hall for the David Bowie Memorial Concert and Massey Hall for a Prince memorial.
Choir! Choir! Choir! will perform in Regina on Aug. 10 at 6:55 p.m.
With files from CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend