Spíra: A Nocturne Choir

Choirs for Change is returning to Nocturne! On October 15, every hour, beginning at 6pm, we will teach community members a song and perform it together. You have a voice to share, and we want to hear it!

Spíra: A Nocturne Choir is an all-ages, drop-in choir where no musical experience is necessary. During each session, Spíra’s artistic team will teach participants a song by a local artist, with simple harmonies. Come back throughout the evening to learn different songs!

Group singing is a longstanding global tradition. It is a way of building community, sharing oral histories, and celebrating one another. Music making and singing—whether in a choir, at karaoke with beloved friends, in the shower belting your heart out, or at a campfire singalong—is a deeply human experience. Nova Scotia has a particularly rich musical tradition (kitchen parties, anyone?), and we hope to reimagine the traditional choral structure by inviting community members to sing easy-to-learn arrangements of songs by local artists. Historically, music has been a way of creatively moving through difficult experiences, and we are now in a period of time when we can safely gather as a community to rejoice and celebrate one another and our local artists. Spíra will follow the COVID-19 singing guidelines of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation and Choral Canada.

By both relishing in the musical tradition established by our ancestors and creating new traditions for our choral future, we invite you to play a role in upholding our musical culture. How can we address the diversity of music makers traditionally excluded from formal music spaces? What lasting music and music histories do we want to pass on to the generations to come? Join us as we juxtapose a dated format with contemporary content that better represents our community.