Torontonians of the year: Choir! Choir! Choir!
Choir group sings popular songs while building community
About 30 people arrived at Metro Morning's studio on Thursday because they were nominated as Torontonian of the year.
All of them combined as one nominee.
Because that's how the choir group, known as Choir! Choir! Choir!, sees itself: as one.
"It's not just a weekly singing group, it's about community," said Nobu Adilman, who with Daveed Goldman cofounded the group in 2011.
The choir group began at a birthday party, then grew to a Facebook group and is now a regular night at Clinton's Tavern. It's a group of whoever wants to sing, performing choir renditions of popular songs. In the studio, the group performed Simon and Garfunkel song America, while Goldman played guitar and Adilman conducted.
But Adilman said it's more than just singing. He said the group is a cross-section of the city that comes out to the choir events to connect with each other. They are currently fundraising to bring families from Syria to Canada.
Adilman dedicated the performance to Mark Ernsting, the Ryerson professor who was stabbed to death while out walking on Tuesday evening. He said the choir was about creating a safe space for people to sing, but that notion can be extended. "We want that for the whole city," he said.