Choral Pleasure

By Margaret Lyons in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 16, 2007 5:56PM

The Complaints Choir of Chicago has its first rehearsal tonight at 5:30 at the MCA — and it's not too late to join! Anyone with some kvetching to do is welcome. Just show up ready to weave your bitching hay into lyrical gold, and you're in.

The Complaints Choir, a performance project where singers collaborate with a choral director and CC creators Telervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta Kalleinen and local composer/conductor Jeremy Jacobsen to create a song out of yes, complaints, will practice five times in the next few weeks before performing at the MCA and the Empty Bottle next month. Smog Veil Record's Frank Mauceri is coordinating the project, and he says about 80 people have emailed in complaints so far; of those, he has no idea how many will show up tonight.

"From an artistic point-of-view, Chicago is perfect because people here are so vocal and willing to take part," Mauceri told us. CC is part music project, part community building exercise, part therapy. "I hope [participants] experience a liberation from their fears and worries," Mauceri says. "But it really is for each participant/artist to decide and experience."

Still not convinced? Watch the trailer below.

**I'll be there tonight. If you spot me, say hi, and some sweet Chicagoist 1-inch buttons will be yours.**