Many of us are no strangers to the joy of singing in a crowd. Whether it’s campfire sing-alongs, belting out an enthusiastic rendition of “O Canada” at a hockey game, or the public humiliation known as karaoke, it’s not uncommon to have, at one point or another, raised your voice in song with a group of friends or strangers. Singing within a group creates a sense of community, and can be a healing process of sharing and cooperation.

So, on Wednesday night, I thought: “Why not go to the Monarch Tavern, have a pint, and sing a song with a bunch of strangers?” Having made my decision, I journeyed forward to Choir! Choir! Choir!, a weekly drop-in community choir that has been harmonizing groups of Torontonians since 2011.

I have to admit that, on my way to Choir!, I was nervous about getting lost and arriving late. In my nervousness, I arrived exactly on time — a publicly posted 7:30 pm — to find that, thus far, only a few other anxious newbies had shuffled in for the night. The already initiated regulars, the bartender knowingly informed me, usually trickled in around 8:00 pm.

I quickly bought a drink.

Taking a seat beside another first-time Choir! participant, I told her that I was unfamiliar with this week’s repertoire, “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters — a confession that seemed to stun her. I joked that I figured it’s because the song is too old for me to know, but not quite old enough to be a classic. She thought that was funny, although it made her feel old… at 28. We continued to chat, and I relaxed — I had made a friend, of sorts.

Just after eight, the choir began. I had expected the participants to be mostly under 35, but was surprised at the amount of white hair among the ranks. The showrunners, Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman, sported more of an indie rock aesthetic than your average choir directors. Unlike most formal choirs, we skipped the warm up and launched into a free-for-all of the night’s repertoire. I enjoyed hearing all of the voices, about 60 in total, blending together in our own improvised way, and immediately felt a bond with those around me.

However, very soon, this joy would turn to frustration.

Choir! is meant to be casual, but a certain amount of decorum is required to pull off any three-part harmony, and “Everlong” featured a particularly complex arrangement. Our rocker conductors decided to use the tactic of harassing us and making off-colour remarks in an attempt to motivate the crowd to sing the parts the way they envisioned. In between directions, the choir leaders spoke to the crowd in what I can only describe as ill-conceived comedy bits. I have to admit I was alarmed — this was not the carefree sing-a-long I had imagined.

Tired of the negativity, I pushed my way out of the crowd, retiring to the bar to chat with the bartender and wait for the final take.

Eventually, we sang the song, and they recorded it. The final version was technically better than our earlier run-through, but the atmosphere had lost most of its excitement. By the end of the night, I was relieved to be able to go home.

Despite having a less-than-stellar initial experience, I think that Choir! is an all-around good idea. I plan to return because I want to give it a fair shake. It’s hard to enter into an established community for the first time, especially when singing a song with which you’re not familiar. And, frankly, I don’t think “Everlong” will ever be a classic. At least, not in three-part harmony.