For the past two years Nanaimo’s A Cappella Plus choir has been letting the fans call the shots when it comes to song choice.
Audience members have been encouraged to jot down and submit song requests on the backs of door prize slips. Director Patricia Plumley said the method provides feedback and helps the group expand its varied repertoire.
“Judging from the number of people who actually wrote down what they really want to hear, I think it’s been very positive,” she said.
This approach has resulted in some unconventional requests, like pieces by avant-garde composer John Cage, but that hasn’t stopped Plumley from adding them to the group’s repertoire.
The ensemble is holding its spring performances, Be Happy, at the Beach Club Resort in Parksville on Saturday, April 28 and at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre Newcastle Island Lobby on Sunday, April 29. The shows will cover both pop songs and more esoteric selections, like an Icelandic hymn, “interesting modern soundscapes,” and a spoken word piece, which Plumley calls “something absolutely, completely different” for the choir.
Plumley said the Be Happy shows will feature the most popular requests, but whittling down the suggestions to come up with a list of songs was a challenge.
“It was a balance between length of concert and things that we want to learn that we feel would be usable in our repertoire again. Things that we can revive that aren’t too hard,” she said.
“Bohemian Rhapsody is a huge amount of work, but it came up four times so we’re doing it and now we’ve got it in our repertoire.”
As the title of the show suggests, Plumley said presenting a musical “smorgasbord” rather than a themed program will leave audience members satisfied.
“I think there’s something for everybody in this,” she said.
WHAT’S ON … A Cappella Plus’ spring program, Be Happy, comes to the Vancouver Island Conference Centre Newcastle Island Lobby on Sunday, April 29 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $23, available online at www.acappellaplus.ca. Advance purchase only.
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