by Isabel Teotonia
TORONTO — When Nobu Adilman formed a ragtag choir with his buddies to sing at a friend’s birthday party, he didn’t realize what he was tapping into: people really loved singing together. He now runs Choir! Choir! Choir!, which meets every Tuesday night at a College St. bar, attracting 125 people eager to belt out rock and pop tunes in three-part harmony — lyric sheet in one hand, beer in the other. Choir! has been so successful that its organizers, Adilman and Daveed Goldman, are planning a second weekly night to keep up with demand. It’s not the only choir growing and gaining in popularity.
When My Pop Choir started up in Oakville last fall it drew about 60 people, a turnout that prompted owners to add six new locations: two in Mississauga, one in Burlington and three in Toronto, all of which opened this week. Like Choir! there is no audition and no musical training needed. All that’s required is a love of singing. Even the tone-deaf are welcome.
These ensembles — unlike church choirs that sing sacred songs and performance choirs that require auditions — are part of a growing cultural phenomenon attracting downtown hipsters and retired suburbanites. But why the surge in popularity?
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