Raise your voice and your glass with the Birmingham Bier Community Choir

The classic tradition of pub songs has come to Birmingham with the formation of the Birmingham Bier Community Choir.

Though the word “choir” may make it sound formal, organizer and UAB music education student Mallory Bubbett emphasized that the group is “come one, come all.” If you like singing and like drinking, that’s the only qualification you need.

“You don’t even have to sing,” Bubbett said. “It’s about being a community, and if you want to come hang out, chill and be a part of our community, you’re welcome.”

At their first Bier Choir event on July 28 at Good People Brewing, several dozen people joined in with a pint in one hand and sheet music in the other. Their repertoire was based on a variety of drinking songs, like “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” and “Glorious Beer.” 

One crowd favorite that got several requests was a rewrite of “Do Re Mi,” from “The Sound of Music.” It began:

“Dough, the stuff that buys me beer.

Ray, the guy who serves my beer…”

And continues in similar fashion all the way through the scale back to “dough.”

Bubbett said she was pleased to see strangers in the crowd on Good People’s patio. Though almost none of them were professional musicians or singers, and few had even heard many of the songs before, it all came together and sounded much like beer halls and pubs have for generations. Which, of course, is the intent.

“People like to express themselves and not worry too much,” said Stacey Gordon, the organizer of the Crestwood Community Band, at the inaugural sing-along.

They also got an unexpected helping hand from Joey Hall, a tuba player in the Crestwood Community Band who played along with some of the tunes.

Bubbett was inspired by the national Beer Choir organization, which has social singing chapters across the U.S. She saw one such chapter at a choral directors’ conference and felt Birmingham would be a perfect fit. Since Beer Choir isn’t currently accepting new chapters, Bubbett decided to change the name slightly — “bier” being the German word for beer — and get the ball rolling.

“I’ve just been itching to get this started all summer,” Bubbett said, adding that she’d eventually like to make the Birmingham group part of the larger national organization. “I just feel like Birmingham’s ready for it now.”

Bubbett likened Bier Choir to any other social group — it’s not about talent, it’s about having fun in a group of strangers with a common interest.

“Bier Choir is first and foremost a community,” Bubbett said.

The response to the first Bier Choir sing-along was better than Bubbett expected. She’s now planning monthly gatherings at different breweries around town, with occasional guest conductors. Bubbett said she also wants to partner with different groups, like the community band, to broaden Bier Choir’s reach through events like bike rides and Christmas caroling that end at a brewery with a few rousing songs.

Bier Choir and the Crestwood Community Band will host a joint Oktoberween event Oct. 30 at Cahaba Brewing. Bubbett said the choir will begin around 6 p.m. and the band will begin playing around 7 p.m.

Bubbett emphasized that Bier Choir will always be about “regular people just leading regular people in songs.”

Visit facebook.com/bhambierchoir to keep up with upcoming events.