A documentary about an old people’s choir banging out tunes between visits to the specialist doesn’t really sound like much of a film, but what an unexpected gem it is. I laughed. I cried. I sang along.
Made by English director Stephen Walker, the film follows the preparation of the Young at Heart Orchestra from Northhampton, Massachusetts as they prepare to give a concert in their home town. What could have been sentimental and boring is in fact hilarious, poignant and highly entertaining. Middle aged ex-punk rocker Bob Cilman acts as the bridge between the audience and the choir. As musical director he guides the group by choosing what seem at times to be deliberately obscure songs for the elderly crooners to re-interpret.
The film really is a roller coaster journey, from the humourous and light hearted first stanza – full of irony and frivolity as we hear quirky renditions of punk, indie and R’nB classics, such as the 92 year old war bride Eileen hammering out her version of the Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go? – to the depths of despair as two of the choir members die in the weeks prior to the penultimate performance. Throughout the course of the film we are introduced to the characters that make up the choir, and it is the tapestry of their individual stories combined that give such strength and depth to the story of the choir itself.
Interspersed throughout the observational footage are some slick purpose-shot music videos such as the choirs take on Talking Head’s Road To Nowhere and the Bee Gee’s Stayin Alive. They are all beautifully graded with rich deep colours and contain clever twists and turns in the visual narrative – I was hooting with laughter throughout.
The limitations of old age, the perceptions of elderly people, the frailty of life – all take on new meaning when set to the film’s classic tracks. Never has Bowie’s Golden Years taken on such depth of meaning – nor indeed Sonic Youth’s seminal Schizophrenia. With each line, with each back story, with each close up on the lined faces of their geriatric renderers, a new sense of significance sprang forth. Not in an earnest way, but with joy, with soul and with characters that make you want to get up and shake what your mumma gave ya – while you still can!
