Harmonies and hobbies collide this coming Saturday as the Incantatem Singers present Always, Forever and Now, a concert featuring the music of video games, TV shows and movies.
For conductor Sara Jane Schmidt, it doesn’t matter whether the music comes from Inspector Gadget, Doctor Who, or Star Wars. “It really comes down to what's good music in the end,” she explained in an interview with Nolan Kehler on Morning Light. “That's the final deciding factor.”
The choir has become known for their performances at places like ComicCon at the RBC Convention Centre, where they perform arrangements of well-known numbers from different fandoms to great acclaim.
Always, Forever and Now is a variety show of those numbers in that same style, all arranged in an a cappella style by the choristers themselves.
For all of the work that she does with scores from various fandoms, Schmidt admits that this music is still something of a learning curve for her. “My whole musical life was in classical music and sacred choral for the most part,” she explains.
“It’s really opened me up to a new world of music, a new type of creativity, some new sounds, new ways to approach music. And this group of singers is super committed.”
The combination of fandoms and choral music is one that Schmidt says creates a very welcoming and warm environment not only in rehearsals, but with the audience as well.
“They just welcome whatever we present for them,” she says, noting that the choir also makes sure that everyone is welcome no matter how much they know about the music or the media it comes from.
“We have all the lyrics up on a on a PowerPoint so you can follow if you know even the tiniest thing about Star Wars or Doctor Who or Harry Potter. You still get some enjoyment out of what we do with it.”
The Incantatem Singers present Always, Forever and Now on Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th at 7:30 p.m. at the John Black Memorial United Church. For tickets and more information, you can visit their Facebook page.