SXSW: Choir of Young Believers

Thursday, March 15th, 2012 // SXSW

Before heading over to the French music showcase at the Mohawk on Wednesday, March 15, I stopped by Club DeVille to see Choir of Young Believers perform at the Ghostly International Showcase. Choir of Young Believers is the musical project of Jannis Joya Makrigiannis, a well-regarded musician in the Danish indie scene. Signed to Ghostly International in 2008, the orchestral pop group has released one album so far: This is For the White in Your Eyes. As the title suggests, the album is full of grand compositions akin to that of Sufjan Stevens, Efterklang, and My Brightest Diamond.

The Ghostly International Showcase was a treat for both Choir of Young Believers, which is releasing its second album Rhine Gold in two weeks, and the audience, which was able to view a full Choir of Young Believers performance. The band is known for its fluctuating size in concert, ranging from a duo to an octet with Jannis as the sole constant. The lineup playing at Club DeVille included drums, a one-man percussion section, a trumpet, a cello, a keyboard, and a guitar, which allowed for a full sound. The band was focused on their performance, paying more attention to giving the audience a flawless and moving live performance than pandering to the crowd. While some audience members used the concert to talk to others and meet new people who held the same musical passions as them, others allowed the band to fully envelop their consciousness with its spellbinding performance.

This is the first single off of their album Rhine Gold, which will be released on March 20:

Post by Matt Mastricova