Somehow senior citizens and the Bee Gees don’t seem like related subjects. Not the case, however, for Massachusetts-based chorus Young@Heart. In fact, this musical group, whose youngest member was born in 1939, does a pretty mean version of “Stayin’ Alive.”
Founded in 1982 by director Bob Cilman, Young@Heart began as a way to engage senior citizens at the Walter Salvo house, an elderly housing project in Northampton, Massachusetts. Nearly thirty years later, the chorus has toured extensively in both Europe and the United States, performing for everyone from royalty to prison inmates. With a repertoire that includes everything from Radiohead to the Rolling Stones, Young@Heart has a knack for taking standard rock-n-roll hits and re-contextualizing them to create a surprisingly compelling theatre experience. Songs like the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” the Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” David Bowie’s “Golden Years,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” take on new meaning when performed by a group of rockers with an average age of 78.
While most of the chorus members prefer classical music or show tunes to these songs, they have come to trust Cilman’s eclectic tastes. When the group toured Ireland, journalist Belinda McKeon ofIrish Timesinterviewed members Jéan Florio, 85, and Jack Schnepp, 77:
"My kids say, Mom, you're not doing that song!" said Jéan. "They say, get out of here, you can't be doing the Clash. And we say, oh yes we are."
Jack chimed in: "In the old days we would have just turned these songs off the radio. We would have just turned down the noise. Now we know the words. We know there's always a good beat in them. Now we enjoy them; they're all good songs."
"Well, the only thing I won't listen to is hip-hop," added Jéan. "I don't care for that."
"Or hard rock," said Jack.
"No, no, some hard rock is pretty good."
Long-time member Eileen Hall has performed stripteases with the group and both Warren Clark and Ralph Intorcio have donned drag for Young@Heart shows. The ensemble has collaborated with punk rockers, Latino breakdancers, Cambodian folk artists, and the Pioneer Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, producing several productions over the years, including “Oh No A Condo” in 1988 and “Louis Lou I – A Revolting Musical” in 1991, which used Sinatra tunes to recount the story of the French Revolution.
In 2007, the group reached a new level of fame when they caught the attention of filmmaker Stephen Walker. Walker’s acclaimed film, also calledYoung@Heart, follows chorus members as they prepare to perform new material for sold-out audiences. Documenting their difficulties at remembering the lyrics to complex songs such as Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can” as well as simple songs like James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” the film displays thejoie de vivreof these hip seniors. Several beloved members of the group passed away during the making of the film, making the documentary a meditation on mortality as much as a celebration of the sheer power of music. The film’s finale is, of course, their much-anticipated performance, which includes a hilarious version of the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” as well as 81-year-old Fred Knittle’s heartwrenching version of Coldplay’s “Fix You,” dedicated to a recently-deceased chorus member.
Film reviewer Greg Saulmon muses: “Someone once told me that growing up isn't about getting things; it's about losing them. But while that sense of loss hangs heavy in "Fix You" and "Fake Plastic Trees," what's even more unmistakable is how much the singers of Young@Heart have left to give.” What these singers give us is more than just rousing renditions of overplayed rock anthems. They show us how to approach aging with humor, grace, honesty, and, above all, joy.
