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Film: Young@Heart

Stephen Walker’s moving documentary “Young@Heart” opens today, and if you’re lucky enough to be in one of the cities that it’s screening in,  go see it. The doc follows the Young@Heart chorus, comprised entirely of retirees aged 70 and up, for seven weeks as they rehearse for a one night only engagement in their hometown of North Hampton, Massachusetts.

If this sounds like it might be a snooze-fest, consider the fact that their repertoire includes jams from the Clash, Sonic Youth, Coldplay, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, and Outkast.  In the past they have put on performances with Cambodian folk artists and punk rockers (1988’s “Oh No a Condo”) and have told the story of the French Revolution through the songs of Frank Sinatra (1991 Louis Lou I – A Revolting Musical).  They have toured Europe, Australia, and Canada, and are about to embark on a brief US tour in support of the release of the documentary.   

Led by Bob Cilman, their tireless leader, conductor, and arranger, the Y@H chorus spends hours upon hours practicing and perfecting seven songs for their upcoming performance in the film.  The chorus members struggle through difficult lyrics (Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can”) and unfamiliar melodies (Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia”).  After the tragic loss of two members of the group during the shooting of the documentary, the lyrics of the seven songs begin to take on extraordinary implications.  At 81-years-old and suffering from congestive heart failure, Fred Knittle’s performance of Coldplay’s “Fix You” was a profoundly moving experience (clip below).  The end result is (as the synopsis so eloquently puts it) “an inspirational journey with a singular group of people who may be old in body, but refuse to grow old in spirit”.  Now there’s something we can celebrate.

Young@Heart opens in theaters today (April 9th).  The Young@Heart Chorus will be performing in Los Angeles @ the Wilshire Theater on Thursday, April 17th.  Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and at the Wilshire Theater box office.

Fred Knittle performing “Fix You” by Coldplay:

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