Never been?
What a show
is actually like
No orchestra, no backing track, no band behind a curtain. Just people, standing in a row, making every sound you hear. Here's what to expect if you've never been.
You'll spend the first song working out how they're doing it
Someone is singing the bass line. Someone else is the drum kit. The chord you're hearing is four or five people listening very hard to each other. Most newcomers spend the opening number staring at one singer trying to catch them out, then give up and just enjoy it.
It's louder and funnier than you'd think
A cappella has a reputation for being polite. Ours isn't. Groups do pop, jazz, gospel, barbershop and comedy, and the between-song banter is half the show. Some songs you'll know from the radio. Some you'll wish you knew.
How long it runs
Evening concerts usually run about two hours with an interval. Workshops are an hour or two. Sing-alongs are as long as your voice holds out.
What to wear
Whatever you'd wear to the pub. Some people dress up. Nobody minds either way.
Bringing children
Please do. Kids tend to work out the beatboxing faster than adults. Evening shows finish late for small ones, so check the start time, and the sing-alongs and school showcases are the easiest place to start.
Do you have to sing?
Only at the sing-alongs, and only if you want to. At concerts you sit and listen like any other show, apart from the bit where someone on stage makes the whole room hum a note. You'll be fine. Everyone around you is also making it up.
What if it gives you ideas
It often does. That's what the Find a choir page is for: groups around Edmonton, when they rehearse, and which ones will take anybody who turns up. A surprising number don't audition.