Back in 2007 you may have seen the previews for or even seen the movie Young @ Heart, a documentary following a chorus by the same name as they rehersed in preperation for a show in their hometown of Northampton, MA. This, however, is no ordinary chorus. It's a chorus of senior citizens whose average age dials in at 81 years. They don't resign themselves to singing standards either. Their repetoire ranges from Jimi Hendrix, to Bruce Springsteen, to James Brown, and Sonic Youth.
One of the standout performances of the movie comes courtesy of Fred Knittle. Knittle was forced to leave the chorus five years earlier due to heart problems, but still made appearences from time to time. The song Knittle was set to perform for the show was "Fix You" by Coldplay, and the performance was supposed to be a duet with his good friend Bob Silvini. Unfortunately, Silvini passed away just days prior to the concert. Faced with performing the song without his very good freind was devestating, however, Knittle pulled it off. Knittle's performance, with his deep Johnny Cash-like voice, is outstanding to begin with. Adding the circumstances surrounding the performance brings a completely different layer of feeling and emotion to the song. It's amazing how a song's meaning can change when it's coming from a different perspective.
Here's Young @ Heart led by Fred Knittle performing "Fix You". The video can't be embedded, but it's such a beautiful performance, everyone should check it out. So, here the link to the video on youtube.
You can read so much more about the Young @ Heart Chorus by checking out their website.
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