Young At Heart Chorus

So as I laid on the couch yesterday battling this cold Im fighting, I decided to rent a movie. As I browsed through the "on demand" selection, I came across Young at Heart. As I read the synopsis, I remembered my friend, Paula, telling me about this film. It is a documentary about senior citizens that are in a choir and sing rock songs. I remember from her review that it is sad, but thats okay, I was up for some tears. And tears I got!

I definitely give this film four stars! It was such a moving documentary for me. The average age of the people in the chorus is 80. And the film follows the lives of these senior citizens while they prepare to perform in their home town, Massachusetts. They are attempting to learn 4 new songs to perform. James Brown - I Feel Good, Coldplay - Fix You, Schizophrenic - Sonic Youth, and Yes we Can Can - Allen Toussaint. Watching these senior citizens learn the words to these songs is pretty amazing, and a little painful at times. They have a hard time finding the rhythm and remembering the words. But when you see them perform it at the end, it really brings a whole new meaning to the songs...and interpt the songs in a different way.

As you watch the film, you really get to know the people in the chorus. There is Joe, who at 86 can remember a song in one afternoon (the only one in the group that can do that!), and he also has had enough chemo to kill a person, but he was still up on stage during while going through chemo treatments. Fred, who has congestive heart failure must sing sitting down with oxygen at his side, and has come back to do another performance with the chorus. Bob, who is a man of many many lives...he has faced death many times but always manages to make it back to the chorus.

Bob Cilman started the chorus in 1982, and while in the film he definitely has a few moments where he might lose his temper a bit, this man has a huge heart. What he has done for these people is amazing. You can just see the sparkle in their eyes when they speak about what the chorus means to them. As they deal with the physical pains that old age brings, they still get to practice every week, and get up there and sing and dance their hearts away!

In the second half of the film, two of the members in the chorus pass away. Bob, the man with many many lives, was in the hospital practicing his lines to Fix Me, by Coldplay, and had a heart attack and didn't survive. You could tell by a few series of events that might be the outcome, but this man was a fighter! He was going to sing Fix Me as a duet with Fred. And it was such a great song because of the meaning for both of them with their health problems. Fred sang the song as a solo in dedication to Bob at the concert. EMOTIONAL! He did an amazing job. It really was so touching. And than Joe, who had battled so much cancer, had a relapse and also passed away. It was something I cant explain or put into the right words....to watch this group deal with the grief of losing a friend, but still going forward and singing in their memory and honor. Incredible. Having the chorus together at that time was such a great support system, and really helped them in their grieving process. They performed at a jail just an hour after hearing of Bobs passing, and they dedicated Forever Young to him, and announced that to the audience. They had all those guys in jail in tears, and those guys all said this was one of the best performances they ever saw!

As I sobbed through this film, I also laughed through it to. It warmed my heart to watch it! I hope I can have such a great spirit as these people when I reach their age. They are a true inspiration! Music really does make such a difference in peoples lives, no matter what age! I would of loved to see this chorus perform!