Commoners Choir, formed in 2015 and now with over 75 members, are a rousing, poignant, sassy, funny, angry, hopeful, rowdy singing newspaper: they sing about stuff that happens, stuff that should be happening, stuff that matters, and all in multi-layered harmony.
“Bloody marvellous stuff. I always want to charge at something after hearing them.” (Mark Thomas)
Their songs and arrangements are written by Boff Whalley, songsmith for the likes of Chumbawamba and Red Ladder Theatre, with inspiration, input and interjections from choir members. Their debut album, ‘Commoners Choir’ distils all that they are into an hour of marvellous melodies, powerful voices, and passionate ideals. Songs about food riots, inequality, the cultural harrying of the North, Woody Guthrie, the Calder Valley floods, homelessness, refugees, the printed word, and the rhyming possibilities of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt… stitched together with soundbites, found sounds, and words of wisdom.
“Great songs that really say something, with the lusty verve and empathy of voices joining together in a true spirit of community - The Commoners Choir is exactly what we - and you - need right now!” (Nancy Kerr and James Fagan)
Always quirky, always melodic, always unexpected, CommonersChoir are going from strength to strength. As well as their own inimitable shows they have performed at festivals, (Musicport and Oysterband’s Big Session), toured libraries with a show about literacy and print, sailed a barge along the Aire and Calder to commemorate bread and beer riots, highlighted homelessness, celebrated Luddite history, sung high upon England’s moors and peaks in defence of common land and challenged unfair byelaws using swearing and profanity (with comedian and campaigner Mark Thomas). All with a smile and a tune…
“They sing with fires in their bellies, and tongues in their cheeks.” (Beccy Owen)
commoners choir's website. For all news, blogs, shenanigans, etc: www.commonerschoir.com
“A glorious monster created by crossing Crass with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.” (Norman Sleek)
