Vancouver Choir Outside Voices Covers Fleetwood Mac and Rehearses in the Park

Singing your favourite Fleetwood Mac song at full blast is usually reserved for those magical car moments when the radio gods bless you and your windows are rolled up tight. But now, thanks to a new community choir, you can belt out those favourites with a crowd. Outside Voices, led by local music maker David Beckingham, is giving Vancouverites a fun, low-pressure way to reconnect through song. (Let’s be honest, karaoke can only satisfy our inner Adele for so long.) “I’ll never forget the first rehearsal,” says Beckingham, a guitarist for Juno-winning indie band Hey Ocean. “Sixty people singing Radiohead while I played guitar—it was magic.”

His path to forming Outside Voices was pure serendipity. He bumped into an old music-industry friend, Emily Millard, at the Folk Fest in 2023; she was moving away, and she encouraged him to apply to take her spot as director of the Kingsgate Chorus community choir. “I had never even been in a choir, let alone directed one,” Beckingham laughs. But with 20 years of music under his belt, he gave it a shot, got the gig—and the choir grew fast.

So fast, in fact, that it soon had a waitlist, and Beckingham found himself putting together another choir of his own in February 2024: Outside Voices. “I think people are still craving community after COVID, and this was a fun way to bring people together,” he says. His new choir focuses on a distinct collection of fresh pop-and-rock arrangements; this summer, the group worked on a Fleetwood Mac-centric setlist. “I’m a huge fan, especially of the guitarist,” says Beckingham. “I basically just pick songs I love and hope people are into it.” Spoiler alert: they are. Outside Voices now has a waitlist of its own.

The best part? No auditions. “I just ask about your music experience when you sign up,” Beckingham says. “As long as you can carry a tune, you’re in.” It’s all about keeping things chill. “Singing is personal—we should all have permission to explore our musicality and singing voices. I want people to feel comfortable exploring that in a group setting where their voice can blend in.” The choir members range from 19-year-olds to folks in their 60s, though most are in their 30s and 40s. Got a low voice? This is your sign to join. “We’re always on the lookout for baritones,” Beckingham adds.

Rehearsals are once a week, and sometimes the group even brings practice outside, literally putting those “outside voices” to work. But it’s not just about the music–there’s a magic that Beckingham is chasing. “We use the word ‘joy’ a lot in the choir,” he says. “You ask someone to sing with more joy, and it instantly brightens the sound.”

THE DEETS

Join the waitlist by visiting @outside_voices_yvr; registration is $275 per season