Subject: Langley Schools Music Project

Has anyone heard of this group?

In 1976/1977, a music teacher in a school in North West Canada started a choir, backed with some guitars and perscussion instruments. They rehearsed and recorded a number of popular songs from the 1960s and 1970s, including songs by artists such as The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Carpenters and David Bowie. The recordings were intended originally for the friends and families of the choir but they got heard by a record company executive who was so impressed that he got the songs released on an album "Innocence and Despari".

Since then it's become something of a cult classic. I'd heard of it vaguely but this month a UK music magazine (Q) gave away a "sampler" CD, including one of the songs by the Langley Schools Music Project ("You're So Good To Me" by The Beach Boys). I listened and found it really good - it goes beyond what you might expect, i.e. a group of not terrifically musically talented kids singing in a school gym! Their voices and the arrangement are quirky but their enthusiasm and love of music just comes right out of the speakers at you - it's quite uplifting to think of all those children getting such basic enjoyment from performing.

If you're interested to hear some samples, you can download some clips (legally) at the website below.

http://keyofz.com/keyofz/langley/