The Choir
Encyclopedia
The Choir is an atmospheric Christian alternative rock
band, led by Derri Daugherty
on guitar and vocals, Steve Hindalong
on drums—who also writes most of the band's lyrics—along with Tim Chandler
on bass guitar, Dan Michaels on saxophone
and lyricon
and Marc Byrd
on guitar (since 2005).
Each band member has worked on numerous projects outside The Choir: Hindalong produced the successful City On A Hill
series of worship albums, co-writing the well-known song "God of Wonders" with band-mate Byrd. Daugherty has been a member of the contemporary Christian "supergroup" The Lost Dogs since 1991, with Hindalong recently joining the group. Chandler has been the bass guitar player for Daniel Amos
for many years, pre-dating his work with The Choir. Byrd was a member of Common Children
, recorded with his wife Christine Glass
as Glassbyrd, and is currently half of the post-rock duo Hammock
.
Christian punk and alternative music scene, which also included the bands Undercover
, Crumbächer
, Altar Boys
and 4-4-1
.
The Choir's music has been described by the Los Angeles Times
as "magical songs that combine strains of murky psychedelia with pure pop". Billboard praised the band for its "dark poetic leanings, effects-laden guitars and strong melodic hooks". In 1984, Youth Choir became the first band to play at the Cornerstone Festival
, the pre-eminent Christian arts and music festival in the United States. By 1986, the band dropped the "Youth" from its name and began calling itself simply The Choir. Hindalong began writing most of the lyrics for the band at this point, songs that are known for their vulnerability and honesty, particularly about the challenges inherent in romantic relationships and the simple joys of family life.
Although the band has long had a cult following among listeners of Christian alternative music, that did not translate into financial success within the contemporary Christian music
(CCM) industry, nor did it lead to a successful mainstream crossover experienced by later groups like Jars of Clay
, Switchfoot
and Sixpence None the Richer
, who have pointed to The Choir as a significant musical influence. As a result, the band nearly called it quits in 1996 after their final U.S. tour, a few years after Daugherty, Hindalong and Michaels moved from their homes in Southern California
to Nashville, Tennessee
, since much of the CCM industry is now based there. The difficulty of this move also made its way into the lyrics of the band's songs, primarily Speckled Bird
. Nevertheless, the band continued recording, and received a Grammy Award
nomination for their album, Flap Your Wings
, released in 2000.
In spring 2005, The Choir returned to the dreamlike rock sound of Chase the Kangaroo
and Circle Slide
with the album, O How the Mighty Have Fallen
, thanks to the influence of new band member Marc Byrd
. He also produced the album, which was released independently on the band's own Galaxy21 label. Two months later, on August 19, 2005, The Choir played a 20th anniversary concert at Mariners Church
in Irvine, California
, along with 4-4-1
, Altar Boys
, Crumbächer
and Undercover
, in order to acknowledge the birth of the Christian alternative music scene under the aegis of Calvary Chapel in the early 1980s. Although The Choir had essentially ceased touring, the overwhelmingly positive response to this one-off concert led to a short series of tour dates to support O How the Mighty Have Fallen in the early part of 2006. A DVD
of the Irvine concert was promised, but has yet to be released.
After a five-year recording hiatus, The Choir released two full-length studio albums in 2010. On June 29, The Choir released Burning Like the Midnight Sun
, which received some of the most positive reviews of the band's entire career. Jeff Eibel, writing for the Spin Control column in the Chicago Sun-Times
, called the album "a late-career triumph" and remarked that Midnight Sun was the band's "second exceptional album in a row, and its best since 1990’s landmark Circle Slide
”. As of November 14, 2010, Burning Like the Midnight Sun has earned aggregate five-star reviews from consumers on both Amazon.com
and the iTunes Store
. In response, Daugherty and Hindalong went into the studio again, this time with cellist Matt Slocum
of Sixpence None the Richer
, to record de-plumed
, a collection of acoustic reinterpretations of one song from each of their 12 prior studio albums. de-plumed was released on November 9, shortly after the band embarked on a multi-city acoustic tour.
The Choir continues to maintain an active online presence with their own website and Facebook
page.
Christian alternative rock
Christian alternative rock is a form of alternative rock music that is lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. Some critics have suggested that unlike CCM and older Christian rock, Christian alternative rock generally emphasizes musical style over lyrical content as a defining genre...
band, led by Derri Daugherty
Derri Daugherty
Derri Daugherty is an American record producer, songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for band The Choir....
on guitar and vocals, Steve Hindalong
Steve Hindalong
Steve Hindalong is an American drummer, percussionist, songwriter and producer best known for his work with the alternative rock band The Choir...
on drums—who also writes most of the band's lyrics—along with Tim Chandler
Tim Chandler
Tim Chandler is a bass guitar player, best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies and The Choir....
on bass guitar, Dan Michaels on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and lyricon
Lyricon
The Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller to be constructed.Invented by Bill Bernardi , it was manufactured by a company called Computone Inc in Massachusetts...
and Marc Byrd
Marc Byrd
Marc Byrd is an American musician, writer, and producer best known as one-half of the post-rock/ambient duo Hammock, along with former Common Children band-mate Andrew Thompson....
on guitar (since 2005).
Each band member has worked on numerous projects outside The Choir: Hindalong produced the successful City On A Hill
City on a Hill (series)
City On A Hill is a series of praise and worship music compilations performed by Contemporary Christian musicians and produced by Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty, and Marc Byrd, who are current members of Christian rock band The Choir...
series of worship albums, co-writing the well-known song "God of Wonders" with band-mate Byrd. Daugherty has been a member of the contemporary Christian "supergroup" The Lost Dogs since 1991, with Hindalong recently joining the group. Chandler has been the bass guitar player for Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos is a rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. Current members include bassist Tim Chandler, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart...
for many years, pre-dating his work with The Choir. Byrd was a member of Common Children
Common Children
Common Children was a Christian alternative rock band composed of Marc Byrd, Drew Powell, and Hampton Taliaferro. The band recorded three studio albums between 1996 and 2001. The first two, Skywire and Delicate Fade, were released on the now-defunct Tattoo record label, which signed the band after...
, recorded with his wife Christine Glass
Christine Glass
Christine Glass is an American singer-songwriter, married to Marc Byrd .She has released two solo albums, Human and Love & Poverty . She formed a duo called GlassByrd with her husband and they released Open Wide This Window in 2003...
as Glassbyrd, and is currently half of the post-rock duo Hammock
Hammock (band)
Hammock is an American two-member post-rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. With music created in between production and songwriting projects over the course of two years, Hammock combines live instrumentation, electronic beats, and droning guitar into atmospheric music similar in style to the work...
.
History
The Choir was originally formed as Youth Choir in the early 1980s by Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong. The two songwriters had been introduced by a mutual friend, the bass guitarist Tim Chandler, who was touring with Daniel Amos along with Daugherty, who was the band's roadie and sound man at the time. Hindalong and Daugherty quickly became friends and a songwriting team. Youth Choir became part of the Calvary ChapelCalvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
Christian punk and alternative music scene, which also included the bands Undercover
Undercover (band)
Undercover is an American Christian punk band based in Southern California.-History:Formed in the early 1980s by Joey "Ojo" Taylor in southern California, Undercover brought a new sound to the Contemporary Christian Music scene that differed from the Christian rock and Christian metal bands of the...
, Crumbächer
Crumbächer
Crumbächer was an American Christian new wave and synthpop band in the 1980s, headed by Stephen Crumbächer.-History:After five years of friendship, Stephen Crumbächer, Dawn Wisner and Jim Wisner played their first performance as Crumbächer at a New Year's Eve show in 1983...
, Altar Boys
Altar Boys
Altar Boys are a Christian punk rock band from California, formed in 1982. They are Mike Stand , Jeff Crandall , Steve Pannier , Mark Robertson , and Ric Alba.-Background:...
and 4-4-1
4-4-1
4-4-1 are an alternative-pop Christian rock band who played primarily in the 1980s. 4-4-1 consisted of lead singer/guitarist John McNamara, drummer Steve Giali, lead guitarist John Giali and bassist/keyboardist Glenn Holland....
.
The Choir's music has been described by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
as "magical songs that combine strains of murky psychedelia with pure pop". Billboard praised the band for its "dark poetic leanings, effects-laden guitars and strong melodic hooks". In 1984, Youth Choir became the first band to play at the Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
, the pre-eminent Christian arts and music festival in the United States. By 1986, the band dropped the "Youth" from its name and began calling itself simply The Choir. Hindalong began writing most of the lyrics for the band at this point, songs that are known for their vulnerability and honesty, particularly about the challenges inherent in romantic relationships and the simple joys of family life.
Although the band has long had a cult following among listeners of Christian alternative music, that did not translate into financial success within the contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
(CCM) industry, nor did it lead to a successful mainstream crossover experienced by later groups like Jars of Clay
Jars of Clay
Jars of Clay is a Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois.Jars of Clay consists of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars...
, Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
and Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is...
, who have pointed to The Choir as a significant musical influence. As a result, the band nearly called it quits in 1996 after their final U.S. tour, a few years after Daugherty, Hindalong and Michaels moved from their homes in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, since much of the CCM industry is now based there. The difficulty of this move also made its way into the lyrics of the band's songs, primarily Speckled Bird
Speckled Bird
Speckled Bird is the eighth studio album from Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 1994.-Recording history:Largely a remixed and reworked version of the independent Kissers and Killers project...
. Nevertheless, the band continued recording, and received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for their album, Flap Your Wings
Flap Your Wings (Choir album)
Flap Your Wings is the tenth studio album by Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 2000. It earned the band its first Grammy Award nomination in 2002.-Recording history:...
, released in 2000.
In spring 2005, The Choir returned to the dreamlike rock sound of Chase the Kangaroo
Chase the Kangaroo
Chase the Kangaroo is the fourth studio album from Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 1988.-Recording history:Chase the Kangaroo was a radical departure from the upbeat, alternative pop sounds of Diamonds and Rain, and quickly proved to be a seminal work—not only for The Choir,...
and Circle Slide
Circle Slide
Circle Slide is the sixth studio album from Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 1990.-Recording history:Even with all the popular success that greeted Wide-Eyed Wonder and the band's relentless touring in support of that record, the circumstances that surrounded the creation of...
with the album, O How the Mighty Have Fallen
O How The Mighty Have Fallen
O How The Mighty Have Fallen is the 11th studio album by Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 2005. This was the band's first album in 20 years not to be co-produced by Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong.-Track listing:...
, thanks to the influence of new band member Marc Byrd
Marc Byrd
Marc Byrd is an American musician, writer, and producer best known as one-half of the post-rock/ambient duo Hammock, along with former Common Children band-mate Andrew Thompson....
. He also produced the album, which was released independently on the band's own Galaxy21 label. Two months later, on August 19, 2005, The Choir played a 20th anniversary concert at Mariners Church
Mariners Church
Mariners Church is a non-denominational, Evangelical Christian megachurch located in Irvine, California, situated in central Orange County. The church is a member of the Willow Creek Association.-History:...
in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, along with 4-4-1
4-4-1
4-4-1 are an alternative-pop Christian rock band who played primarily in the 1980s. 4-4-1 consisted of lead singer/guitarist John McNamara, drummer Steve Giali, lead guitarist John Giali and bassist/keyboardist Glenn Holland....
, Altar Boys
Altar Boys
Altar Boys are a Christian punk rock band from California, formed in 1982. They are Mike Stand , Jeff Crandall , Steve Pannier , Mark Robertson , and Ric Alba.-Background:...
, Crumbächer
Crumbächer
Crumbächer was an American Christian new wave and synthpop band in the 1980s, headed by Stephen Crumbächer.-History:After five years of friendship, Stephen Crumbächer, Dawn Wisner and Jim Wisner played their first performance as Crumbächer at a New Year's Eve show in 1983...
and Undercover
Undercover (band)
Undercover is an American Christian punk band based in Southern California.-History:Formed in the early 1980s by Joey "Ojo" Taylor in southern California, Undercover brought a new sound to the Contemporary Christian Music scene that differed from the Christian rock and Christian metal bands of the...
, in order to acknowledge the birth of the Christian alternative music scene under the aegis of Calvary Chapel in the early 1980s. Although The Choir had essentially ceased touring, the overwhelmingly positive response to this one-off concert led to a short series of tour dates to support O How the Mighty Have Fallen in the early part of 2006. A DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the Irvine concert was promised, but has yet to be released.
After a five-year recording hiatus, The Choir released two full-length studio albums in 2010. On June 29, The Choir released Burning Like the Midnight Sun
Burning Like the Midnight Sun
Burning Like the Midnight Sun is the 12th studio album by Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released on June 29, 2010.-Content:...
, which received some of the most positive reviews of the band's entire career. Jeff Eibel, writing for the Spin Control column in the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, called the album "a late-career triumph" and remarked that Midnight Sun was the band's "second exceptional album in a row, and its best since 1990’s landmark Circle Slide
Circle Slide
Circle Slide is the sixth studio album from Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 1990.-Recording history:Even with all the popular success that greeted Wide-Eyed Wonder and the band's relentless touring in support of that record, the circumstances that surrounded the creation of...
”. As of November 14, 2010, Burning Like the Midnight Sun has earned aggregate five-star reviews from consumers on both Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. In response, Daugherty and Hindalong went into the studio again, this time with cellist Matt Slocum
Matt Slocum
Matt Slocum is a guitarist, cellist, pianist and composer, known for his work as the principal songwriter and lead guitarist of Sixpence None the Richer....
of Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is...
, to record de-plumed
De-plumed
-Production:* Executive Producer: Dan Michaels* Produced by Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong* Recorded and mixed by Derri Daugherty* Mastered by Dave Schober* Cover painting: Ron Lyon* Design: Jimmy Abegg...
, a collection of acoustic reinterpretations of one song from each of their 12 prior studio albums. de-plumed was released on November 9, shortly after the band embarked on a multi-city acoustic tour.
The Choir continues to maintain an active online presence with their own website and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page.
Current lineup
- Derri DaughertyDerri DaughertyDerri Daugherty is an American record producer, songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for band The Choir....
- lead vocals, guitars - Steve HindalongSteve HindalongSteve Hindalong is an American drummer, percussionist, songwriter and producer best known for his work with the alternative rock band The Choir...
- drums, vocals - Dan Michaels - saxophone, lyricon
- Tim ChandlerTim ChandlerTim Chandler is a bass guitar player, best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies and The Choir....
- bass guitar, vocals - Marc ByrdMarc ByrdMarc Byrd is an American musician, writer, and producer best known as one-half of the post-rock/ambient duo Hammock, along with former Common Children band-mate Andrew Thompson....
- guitars, vocals
Discography
Non-album tracks
- "I Can't Take It" b/w "Here in the Night (live)" (7" single) (1985)
- "Travelin' Light (demo)" (digital download) (2004)
- "The Sun Also Rises" (MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
music stream) (2006) - "Babe in the Straw" (digital download) (2010)
Appearances on other works
- 1983 What's Shakin' ["It's So Wonderful"]
- 1989 The Myrrh Radio Collection, Volume 1 ["Someone to Hold Onto"]
- 1993 Brow Beat: Unplugged Alternative ["Wilderness" (acoustic version)]
- 1993 Third Wave ["Kissers and Killers"]
- 1994 Can You Dig It? ["Kissers and Killers"]
- 1994 Strong Hand of LoveStrong Hand of LoveStrong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard is a compilation of songs by various artists in tribute to songwriter, Mark Heard.Recorded and released in 1994, after Heard's death in 1992. Proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....
["Tip of My Tongue"] - 1995 Contemporary Adult Music for the 90's ["Wilderness"]
- 1996 Orphans of GodOrphans of GodOrphans of God is a 2 CD compilation of songs performed by various artists in tribute to songwriter Mark Heard.Recorded and released after Heard's death in 1992, proceeds benefit the Heard Family Fund....
["Tip of My Tongue"] - 1996 Seltzer: Modern Rock to Settle Your Soul ["The Ocean"]
- 1998 Grab Bag Candy Sampler, Volume 1 ["Flowing Over Me" (demo version)]
- 2003 Contemporary Christian Hits: A Collage ["Grace"]
Video appearances
- 1989 Wide-Eyed Wonder Videos (includes two music videos and feature-length documentary)
- 1996 Sled DogSled dogSled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
concept video - 1996 Tattoo Video Hoopla (includes an entire live performance from Cornerstone '96)
Solo releases by members of The Choir
- 1991 Reveal [EP] - Dan Michaels
- 1998 Skinny - Steve Hindalong
- 2002 A Few Unfinished Songs [EP] - Derri Daugherty
- 2003 Open Wide This Window - Glassbyrd (Marc Byrd and Christine Glass)
- 2011 Clouds Echo in Blue - Clouds Echo in Blue (Derri Daugherty)