Singing in the Streets With the Choral Society of Pensacola and the Pensacola Children’s Chorus
Date Posted: Sep 13, 2023
Two Pensacola favorites join forces for a fun and fabulous community singalong
The Pensacola Museum of History is known for its many exhibits portraying the uniqueness of the city’s past, but during Foo Foo Fest, it will transform into the setting for a spirited community singalong.
The Choral Society of Pensacola and the Pensacola Children’s Chorus teamed up for a spectacular Foo Foo event this year, Singing in the Streets, which will bring the performance off the stage and into the community. “At the Choral Society of Pensacola, our mission is to provide the community with a diverse set of singing activities,” said Peter Steenblik, its artistic director. “This event lets us come out from behind the curtain and make music in the community in a less formal environment.”
Alex Gartner, artistic and executive director of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus, echoes Steenblik’s excitement about creating an opportunity for a community-wide singalong, which will be held flash mob-style on the steps of the Pensacola Museum of History. “We really wanted singing to be the focus of our event for Foo Foo Fest, and not in a typical performance where the audience comes in and just consumes the art but rather participates in it themselves,” Gartner explained. “Singing in the Streets is a great opportunity for all of Pensacola—and those in from out of town—to perform collectively as a group and just have a good time around song.”
Singing on the Streets will include a variety of well-known songs for the crowd to perform, from Broadway hits to Disney favorites, all of which will be led by the Pensacola Children’s Chorus and Choral Society of Pensacola and the musical accompaniment of piano, guitar, and drums. “We’re trying to turn the traditional performance model on its head because we really want people to recognize that their voice is valuable and important and can be part of the music making,” Gartner added.
The singalong is free to the public and scheduled for Thursday, November 2 at 6:00 p.m. Gartner is excited about the opportunity for entire families to enjoy the lighthearted event together, which speaks—or rather sings—to the community’s appreciation of the arts. “Arts and culture are really an essential heartbeat of our community,” Gartner said. “We are so fortunate to have what we have here in Pensacola. It’s unique and special, and Foo Foo Fest does a great job of bringing everyone together for this two-week period. We’re thrilled at having the opportunity to put together a musical celebration for Foo Foo that can engage our entire community.”
And as Steenblik points out, collaborative events like this are made possible because of the grants given by Foo Foo Fest. “We love getting the chance to collaborate with other organizations, and Foo Foo Fest is what affords us that opportunity,” Steenblik said. “Foo Foo gives organizations in Pensacola the opportunity to build artistic bridges with others within our community, and we’re so thankful for it.”