The Group That Cannot Sing

Double channel video installation, 8.48. min, HD/4K

2020

The Group That Cannot Sing is an extended portrait and an “out of tune” choral work. The piece is made in collaboration with sound designer Niklas Nybom. The viewer encounters singers from a singing course, who are first preparing for a show with vocal warm-ups and later sing together. ‘The group that cannot sing’ is a popular singing course at Kalliola, a community college in Helsinki, which invites its participants to get to know their voice and discover the joy of singing. Böök participated in the group’s activities for one year, as an unskilled singer among others.

Instead of documenting the singing lessons, Böök invited the participants to perform in a separate studio space. In the resulting piece, singing in front of the camera is both a real and staged situation, where the presence of the camera brings its own layers to the fear of performing and overcoming that fear. At the heart of the video-portraits are the breathing and sound exercises, exposing the raw and fragile vocals which are typically rehearsed behind the scenes. The work offers a break from the constant pressure to present an effortlessly perfect self and provides an opportunity to reflect on the liberating potential of flaws, failure and imperfection.

Director: Laura Böök / Cinematography: Laura Böök, Tomi Rislakki / Editing: Laura Böök / Sound design: Niklas Nybom / Choir leader: Ida-Alina Boucht / Singers: Saija Aalto, Hannele Forssell, Krista Heikkilä, Susanna Jaromaa, Tuula Leskelä, Kirsi Mäenpää, Pirkko Ogata, Outi Paulus, Marja Parviala, Sanni Virtanen