Choir! Choir! Choir! shared the stage with Patti Smith and Stewart Copeland for a stirring performance of “People Have the Power” at the Onassis Festival 2019 in New York City. Joined by 250 voices from the audience, the rendition transformed Smith’s 1988 anthem into a living, breathing moment of collective energy, filling the room with joy, conviction, and lift. It’s the kind of performance that reminds you how songs grow bigger when everyone sings them together.
The appearance took place during Onassis Festival 2019: Democracy Is Coming, co-presented by The Public Theatre and Onassis USA. With Copeland adding percussion flair using a Brazilian samba frying pan, the performance carried spontaneity and spirit, blending generations, genres, and voices into one shared surge of sound. It’s a joyful, unforgettable example of music creating real momentum in the room, powered by voices raised as one.