This article possibly contains original research .(June 2018) |
The term street choir can be used to refer to either a choir of homeless people such as the Berlin Strassenchor [1] or to a political or campaigning choir, as in the UK. [2] As the name suggests, some choirs sing on the street taking political issues and their campaigns to people in public spaces or members who live on the streets. However, not all choirs regularly sing on the street. Choirs are typically church or civil society [3] ventures that do not have political objectives. Examples of street choirs that focus on homeless issues through campaigning are choirs like the Dallas Street choir. [4] [5]
UK street choirs typically have their roots in social movements. In the United Kingdom, an annual Street Choirs Festival is held in June or July over a weekend and is hosted by one or more choirs from the same town or city. The Street Choirs Festival grew out of the Street Bands Festival, [6] the first recorded staging of which was in Sheffield in 1984.
Choir of homeless people is a term for choirs across the world that are formed for two reasons: to raise the awareness of the homeless and to gather charities for the homeless. This way of charity became popular at the beginning of the 21st century mostly in Europe but also in America, Australia, Asia. Examples of homeless choirs are The Choir of Hard Knocks in Australia, San Diego Homeless choir, and the High Hopes Choir in Ireland.
A choir is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words is the music performed by the ensemble. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which spans from the medieval era to the present, or popular music repertoire. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, hand, and facial gestures.
In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. Rhythmic unison is another term for homorhythm.
Mass is a musical theatre work composed by Leonard Bernstein with text by Bernstein and additional text and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy, it premiered on September 8, 1971, conducted by Maurice Peress and choreographed by Alvin Ailey. The production used costume designs by Frank Thompson. The performance was part of the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Mass premiered in Europe in 1973, with John Mauceri conducting the Yale Symphony Orchestra in Vienna.
A Scratch Messiah, People's Messiah, Come Sing Messiah, Sing-it-yourself Messiah, Do-it-yourself Messiah, or Sing along Messiah is an informal performance of Handel's Messiah in which the audience serves as the unrehearsed chorus, often supported by a carefully prepared core group. Orchestra and soloists are usually professionals, though their services are often donated for charity benefits. The "scratch" name derives from the idea of cooking or building from scratch.
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis.
Crisis is the UK national charity for people experiencing homelessness. The charity offers year-round education, employment, housing and well-being services from centres in East London, Newcastle, Oxford, Edinburgh, South Yorkshire, South Wales, Croydon, Brent and Merseyside, called Crisis Skylight Centres.
Based in San Jose, California, The Choral Project is a mixed-voice choir founded in 1996 by artistic director and conductor Daniel D. Hughes. The group's vision is "to heal our world through music and words," while their mission is "to connect to one another through choral theater, education and musical excellence."
Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus (MGLC) was founded in Australia in 1990 by a gay performer and activist, Lawrence Emanuel (1966). The chorus was first named 'AL sounds', due to its part affiliation with the Foundation. In April 1994, the name was changed to Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus, reflecting the chorus's organizational independence and a desire to further challenge stereotypes.
The Choir of Hard Knocks is an Australian choir.
Jonathon Charles Welch is an Australian choral conductor, opera singer and voice teacher. As a singer, Welch has been a tenor for the Victoria State Opera, Lyric Opera of Queensland and Opera Australia.
Homelessness in the United Kingdom is measured and responded to in differing ways in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but affects people living in every part of the UK's constituent countries. Most homeless people have at least a modicum of shelter but without any security of tenure. Unsheltered people, "rough sleepers", are a small minority of homeless people.
The musical foundation of Chichester Cathedral consists of the organist and master of the choristers, the assistant organist and the organ scholar; together with six singing men, eighteen choristers, six probationers – and including a head chorister and a senior chorister who both wear a notable medallion on a red ribbon according to their office held. The choristers and probationers are all boarders at the Prebendal School, the cathedral's choir school. The lay vicars are professional singers who all have everyday jobs.
Gareth Edmund Malone is an English choirmaster and broadcaster, self-described as an "animateur, presenter and populariser of choral singing". He is best known for his television appearances in programmes such as The Choir, which focus on singing and introducing choral music to new participants. Malone was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours, for services to music.
"Grace, Too" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in September 1994 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Day for Night. The song peaked at number 11 on the RPM Canadian Singles chart.
Shortis and Simpson are an Australian entertainment and political satire duo composed of John Damien Shortis and Moya Simpson. They are singers, composers, political satirists and cabaret artists as well as producers and writers of wide-ranging performance genres. John Shortis is a satirist, singer, songwriter, composer, social historian, and political commentator. Moya Simpson is a singer and actor, and choir director. She immigrated to Australia in 1978. Their work includes, Under the influence which was a music theatre production in 2023.
The Foyer housing model is a method of transitional housing for youth that evolved from temporary housing for laborers in Europe. After World War II, foyers were used to provide accommodation for a movement of people from rural France to cities seeking work. The term "foyer" means hearth in French. They later developed to house migrant workers, primarily from Algeria, serving as a path to independent labor and accommodation.
Lurine Lilian Cato, British gospel singer, songwriter and session vocalist, won the MOBO Award for Best Gospel Act in 2013 and was nominated in the same category in 2017. She was a finalist on the 12th Season of Britain's Got Talent 2018 with the B Positive Choir. She has a 5-octave vocal range.
Pub Choir is a musical act founded in Brisbane, Australia, directed by Astrid Jorgensen.
Street Choirs Festival is an annual event in which choirs in the UK meet and sing together. The festival is organised by volunteers and is hosted in a different location each year. The participating choirs learn a set of songs to sing together in an outdoor 'massed sing', followed by each choir busking at a variety of locations in the host town or city, usually outdoors. Most of the choirs sing a capella and many of the choirs sing political and campaign songs and songs of peace. In 2019, the festival gathered almost 1,100 singers in Manchester.