Latest news with #PubChoir
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pure joy: the Australian pub choirmaster who flipped the script on America's Got Talent
Viewed from the outside, at least, far from united, the states of America appear irreconcilably divided. Which may explain why Astrid Jorgensen, a 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane who honed her skills at the pub, has just toured the States to sold out shows and seen her US reality TV appearance go viral. 'When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,' Jorgensen says. 'And I think that that's a really important message anywhere but, for sure, I'm drawing the conclusion [that] in America … it feels like an antidote to whatever's happening in their own communities.' While it might take an hour and a half in her travelling Pub Choir shows – in which she coaches the audience to sing along to pop and rock classics in harmony – Jorgensen made her point in a matter of minutes when she flipped the script of America's Got Talent in her televised appearance last month. Instead of seeking their adulation for her own vocal prowess, the former high school music teacher got her audience to stand up and sing themselves. Yes, the cameras follow Jorgensen's dynamic conduction on stage. But, for the two-minute rendition of Toto's Africa, they mainly focus on the faces of the crowd. People of all ages, genders and colours, singing their little hearts out. Bemused, at first, before exuding the kind of pure and silly joy one only experiences belting out an 80s yacht rock anthem with a bunch of mates. 'If you bring some, like, cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they're going to do a bad job,' Jorgensen says of her song selection. 'I just want people to feel like they're winning – because it's just singing. It's not that big a deal. We've been overthinking it. Just give them a win and let them feel good.' The people must have done. Cajoled by judge Simon Cowell and by an adoring crowd, Jorgensen was voted through to the show's next round. Tens of millions of people have watched, shared and commented on the clip online. Jorgensen is Zooming in from her bedroom in Brisbane, trying to keep an angry chihuahua called Penny quiet. Penny is never angry with Jorgensen – only with those who seek to steal Jorgensen away from her dog. Penny is frequently angry. Jorgensen's not long back from a hectic tour of the US. Yesterday, the ABC's Australian Story team was filming hers. Pub Choir will tour Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland in August. Jorgensen is launching her memoir, Average At Best, in September. She will tour Australia and News Zealand in October and November. Her computer pings with Slack messages from her media team. Unsure how to mute the notifications, Jorgensen takes a moment to message her handlers and kindly asks them to shush. The quiet brings oxygen back into the conversation. Jorgensen takes a similar approach to her Pub Choir shows. 'I try to play into, and really appeal to, an analogue experience,' she says. 'I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people.' But choir, she says, is a unique act of communion in which the audience is transformed into artists. It is a sensation she experienced growing up Catholic, something that almost convinced Jorgensen to become a nun – until she realised that the 'beautiful, hopeful, optimistic, spiritual feeling' that its services gave her came not from the word of God, but from the music of the church. This is an experience Jorgensen wants for her audience, but she wants them to decide for themselves how they feel about it, with their own brain, ears and eyes – not through a screen. Even after the show she asks that they keep phones in pockets. 'And I think that's really freeing for people,' Jorgensen says. 'It's really a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others and to look around, to look eyes up, look at the board, look at each other, hold someone's hand. 'I feel like it's such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.' Jorgensen describes singing together as a 'beautiful fast track to community' – something that, ironically, she alone is not part of at her own shows, standing as she does on stage. So after the final show of her US tour, at a nightclub in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited everyone in the audience to come and say hello. 'People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they'd been feeling for … years even. And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible,' she says. 'That's a special thing to be able to facilitate.'
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pure joy: the Australian pub choirmaster who flipped the script on America's Got Talent
Viewed from the outside, at least, far from united, the states of America appear irreconcilably divided. Which may explain why Astrid Jorgensen, a 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane who honed her skills at the pub, has just toured the States to sold out shows and seen her US reality TV appearance go viral. 'When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,' Jorgensen says. 'And I think that that's a really important message anywhere but, for sure, I'm drawing the conclusion [that] in America … it feels like an antidote to whatever's happening in their own communities.' While it might take an hour and a half in her travelling Pub Choir shows – in which she coaches the audience to sing along to pop and rock classics in harmony – Jorgensen made her point in a matter of minutes when she flipped the script of America's Got Talent in her televised appearance last month. Instead of seeking their adulation for her own vocal prowess, the former high school music teacher got her audience to stand up and sing themselves. Yes, the cameras follow Jorgensen's dynamic conduction on stage. But, for the two-minute rendition of Toto's Africa, they mainly focus on the faces of the crowd. People of all ages, genders and colours, singing their little hearts out. Bemused, at first, before exuding the kind of pure and silly joy one only experiences belting out an 80s yacht rock anthem with a bunch of mates. 'If you bring some, like, cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they're going to do a bad job,' Jorgensen says of her song selection. 'I just want people to feel like they're winning – because it's just singing. It's not that big a deal. We've been overthinking it. Just give them a win and let them feel good.' The people must have done. Cajoled by judge Simon Cowell and by an adoring crowd, Jorgensen was voted through to the show's next round. Tens of millions of people have watched, shared and commented on the clip online. Jorgensen is Zooming in from her bedroom in Brisbane, trying to keep an angry chihuahua called Penny quiet. Penny is never angry with Jorgensen – only with those who seek to steal Jorgensen away from her dog. Penny is frequently angry. Jorgensen's not long back from a hectic tour of the US. Yesterday, the ABC's Australian Story team was filming hers. Pub Choir will tour Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland in August. Jorgensen is launching her memoir, Average At Best, in September. She will tour Australia and News Zealand in October and November. Her computer pings with Slack messages from her media team. Unsure how to mute the notifications, Jorgensen takes a moment to message her handlers and kindly asks them to shush. The quiet brings oxygen back into the conversation. Jorgensen takes a similar approach to her Pub Choir shows. 'I try to play into, and really appeal to, an analogue experience,' she says. 'I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people.' But choir, she says, is a unique act of communion in which the audience is transformed into artists. It is a sensation she experienced growing up Catholic, something that almost convinced Jorgensen to become a nun – until she realised that the 'beautiful, hopeful, optimistic, spiritual feeling' that its services gave her came not from the word of God, but from the music of the church. This is an experience Jorgensen wants for her audience, but she wants them to decide for themselves how they feel about it, with their own brain, ears and eyes – not through a screen. Even after the show she asks that they keep phones in pockets. 'And I think that's really freeing for people,' Jorgensen says. 'It's really a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others and to look around, to look eyes up, look at the board, look at each other, hold someone's hand. 'I feel like it's such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.' Jorgensen describes singing together as a 'beautiful fast track to community' – something that, ironically, she alone is not part of at her own shows, standing as she does on stage. So after the final show of her US tour, at a nightclub in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited everyone in the audience to come and say hello. 'People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they'd been feeling for … years even. And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible,' she says. 'That's a special thing to be able to facilitate.'
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Karl Stefanovic takes a savage swipe at Channel Seven after network announces closures in several Australian cities
Karl Stefanovic has wasted no time in taking aim at Channel Seven. The network announced on Monday that its programming would be switched off in several South Australian and New South Wales cities. The Today show star was quick to make light of the less-than-stellar development for Seven on Tuesday. Stefanovic and co-host Sarah Abo were chatting to Pub Choir founder Astrid Jorgensen, who wowed the America's Got talent audience this week after whipping them into a perfectly harmonised choir. Karl, wanting to repeat the singing magic that even impressed Simon Cowell, encouraged Astrid to break into song. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Let's get the pub tour going now because yesterday on this program, Sarah sang Madonna's Like A Prayer and it was watched by half a million people,' he said. The cheeky host then threw some not-so-subtle shade at Seven, telling Astrid that a cheery tune might be just the remedy for the people who, as of Tuesday, could no longer wake up with Sunrise. 'Can you get us going?' he asked. 'Just get us and everyone at home watching, especially in Griffith in the Riverina who can no longer watch Seven. 'Good morning to you guys,' he added. 'Let's give them a song this morning.' Karl's dig comes after WIN Television and Seven West Media failed to reach an agreement for Channel Seven, 7mate and 7TWO to broadcast in the South Australian regional areas of Mt Gambier and Loxton, as well as Griffith in NSW. The free-to-air channel now says that 'Channel Seven programming is no longer available' for viewers in these regions. Network Seven holds exclusive rights to huge sporting events including Test cricket, the Big Bash and the AFL, among several other shows. WIN Network CEO Andrew Lancaster said in a statement: 'WIN remains committed to serving our regional audiences with a strong local presence and programming.' Stefanovic gleefully made light of the less-than-stellar development for Seven on Tuesday while chatting to Aussie America's Got Talent star and Pub Choir founder Astrid Jorgensen Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Howard, said: 'Despite our best endeavours, we have been unable to reach a mutually acceptable commercial agreement with the WIN Network to provide access to Seven via aerial transmission in Riverland, Griffith, and Mount Gambier. 'Seven has not turned off our signal. We continue to provide our content to WIN for broadcast into these markets and WIN has made the decision to switch off the Seven signal to these communities. 'While we are disappointed WIN has made this decision, these communities are important to us and they can access Seven's news, sport and entertainment content live, free and on demand on 7plus,' he said. 'In the meantime, Seven is seeking the assistance of the Federal Government and the Australian Communications and Media Authority to help resolve this matter as quickly as possible.' Residents will need to have a smart TV connected to the internet in order to access Seven's streaming services. WIN also dropped Sky News coverage in the area last year. It comes after Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed last week that Seven had poached the executive producer from Nine's nightly bulletin, Tanya Weingarth. In an internal email, the network announced the one-time A Current Affair senior producer would be appointed executive producer of the broadcaster's 6pm Sydney news bulletin. Seven's acting news director Geoff Dunn welcomed the appointment in the internal email. 'Tanya started her career with Seven Queensland, so she really is coming home,' the message read. 'We will confirm her start date in due course,' he said. 'We're thrilled she is making the switch to Sydney's most dedicated news team.' A Nine spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the network wished Weingarth 'all the best for her next career move'. 'Tanya continues to fulfil her current role as EP, including tonight at 6pm,' he said. It was also recently revealed that Seven News bosses were secretly planning to sack some of their most popular and best-paid stars. Former top news boss Anthony De Ceglie had a plan to axe every Channel Seven personality earning more than $300,000 per year in favour of upcoming TV stars, according to The Australian's Media Diary column. It was planned that Spotlight chief correspondent Liam Bartlett, Seven News chief reporter Chris Reason and Seven News Sydney anchor Michael Usher were going to be quietly dismissed as part of a 'drastic cost-cutting operation'. Sunrise and The Morning Show presenters Natalie Barr, Matt Shirvington, Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur were the only high-paid stars not at risk of losing their jobs. However, De Ceglie's proposal was met with 'immediate resistance from Seven's more seasoned executives'.
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
The New Zealand born singing teacher on America's Got Talent.
You know the expression sing like no one is listening, well we've got the 2025 edit, sing like you're in a choir of thousands. Astrid Jorgensen is the creator and director behind Pub Choir; a performance where the audience becomes a choir. Regular listeners may remember we spoke to Astrid in October about her ability to sell out venues all over the world and the joy of uniting strangers through song. Fast forward nine months and the New Zealand born choir director has taken her performance to one of the biggest stages there is- TV show America's Got Talent. Astrid shares her experience with Jesse. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Otago Daily Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Festival head-turners
Members of the Remarkable Men's Ballet, from left, Irik Anderson, Steve Kay, Jim Curry, Uan Spijkerbosch and Jake Neaves, surrounded by Arrowtown's Buckingham Belles, from left, Amanda MacPherson, Diana Cowie, Marion Vulliermet, Jacqui Elson and Heather Beard. PHOTO: TRACEY ROXBURGH It's an Arrowtown Autumn Festival first. Now in its 39th year, this year's festival — which starts today — will feature six highly-skilled (according to them) local dancers who are hell-bent on bringing the entertainment value. The Remarkable Men's Ballet troupe, traditionally only trotted out at the annual Queenstown Christmas Show, have this year been invited to perform — in their much-loved tutus — at today's Super Seniors High Tea, in the Athenaeum Hall, and as part of the lunchtime entertainment on the Buckingham Green tomorrow, between 1 and 3pm. Additionally, they'll take part in Saturday's street parade, which starts at 2pm. Autumn festival co-ordinator Vanessa Williams says she "cannot wait" to see the burly ballet boys in full flight, performing a routine, fittingly set to Vivaldi's Autumn, choreographed by Claire Hazledine. Balletman Uan Spijkerbosch is full of confidence ahead of their special performances. "We think we've got it. It's solid, it's dynamic, and we've nailed it." Williams says the weather forecast for the duration of the festival's looking great, and the leaves have turned at the perfect time. She's particularly looking forward to the Saturday events, which run from 8am till 4pm — drawcards include the market day, street parade, this year featuring about 40 entries, street entertainers and a vintage car display. Williams says she's also curious about two new events on Sunday. First up is the 'Pub Choir', at which punters can pop into the Athenaeum Hall at 3.30pm, and enjoy a pint while learning a couple of songs under the guidance of Natasha Wilson (In Harmony) and Rozy Winstone (SkyTop Children's Theatre), and then belt them out as a community chorus. Following that is the R18 'Casino Royale', at the New Orleans Hotel, at which ticket-holders can enjoy a night of gambling, food and drinks to bring the festival to a close. Williams, who's organising the festival for the first time this year, says she's "so excited" about what's to come. "I think everything's coming together swimmingly ... the only questionable factor is how many pumpkins we get in [for tomorrow's Pumpkin Comp]."
