Young@Heart: Best Chorus Ever Celebrates 35 Years

My favorite chorus in the world, Young@Heart, opened their 35^th anniversary concert in their home base of Northampton, Massachusetts, with what I consider a political rock opera called “Welcome to Your Life!” The Director, Bob Cilman, a musical and social magician, describes this work-in-progress as “a musical theater piece with circus as its theme.” It is to underpin an upcoming 2018 collaboration with the Show Circus Studio of Easthampton, but really the concept of circus was not my dominant impression.

To me, each and every selection was a rebellious finger to the present political climate. After all, they started with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (performed by Norman Moreau) before pointing out the “Lies” (Eileen Litke). They moved through a paranoid “Somebody’s Watching Me” (Andy Walsh) and “Life During Wartime” (Anita Shumway). The 14-song set culminated in a magnificent rendition by soloist John Rinehart of Sam Cooke’s “Change is Gonna Come,” a song Cooke wrote after he and his entourage were turned away from a whites only motel in Louisiana. It became a civil rights anthem.

For the second set, the chorus changed out of its white shirts, black ties and pants, and black fedoras, for more elegant and sparkly individual black outfits. They sang of Cinco de Mayo, of mothers – joined by two talented daughters, and finished, as always, with the ever-moving “Forever Young.”

The chorus members, most of whom were born in the 1920s and 1930s, stand on that stage from start to finish for the show. When they exit, it is clear than many have mobility limitations and need canes or walkers. A couple of male soloists in their 90s had to be assisted to the microphone, but once there, every singer stood tall and confident, and generally had a bit of a dance while performing. The live band is fantabulous and clearly shares a powerful and affectionate connection with the singers.

It took us three full hours to drive from Boston to Northampton in relentless rain and wretched Friday traffic to be in time for the show. We didn’t get there in time to take up our dinner reservation, but thankfully they sold buttered popcorn at intermission. By luck, I was seated next to a charming stranger who is connected to the Chorus and is a stranger no more. This new buddy added another layer of pleasure to an incredibly joyful experience of Young@Heart. I always leave their show with the regret that, while I can dance, I ain’t much of a singer, so I can’t join the chorus.

Young@Heart covers a remarkable range of songs – from Bruce Springsteen to the Rolling Stones to Buffalo Springfield to Radiohead. No song is too edgy or too difficult for Cilman’s demanding direction. They also welcome collaborations with a twist, whether with No Theater, breakdancers, a young salsa troupe, or people who are incarcerated at the prisons where Young@Heart works to bring music to those who most need it.

During the second set, Bob Cilman tearfully spoke of his mother who, at 98, decided that her home town wasn’t hip enough and came to Northampton to live. At 99, she was in the audience. He announced that they were planning a show – the theater is already booked – for her 100^th birthday. I wept – we all did. It is the same day as the birthday of my dear friend, Barry, with whom I’ve been following this Chorus since the early 2000s. We’ll be there.

All photos by Barry Hock

Here is a clip of Young@Heart performing on Ellen:

And here is the trailer for the fabulous documentary about them made a few years ago:

Comments

[SUE C KELMAN]

Can I come along with you and Barry next year? Dying to see them.
The other Sue