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DeReau Farrar recalls how the co-founders of A Notion, A Scream—members of a First Unitarian Church choir he’d led until 2024—made their pitch. “We want you to have a choir that includes us,” they told him, “but is the choir of your dreams.”
A Notion, A Scream (anotionascream.org) lets anyone in who wants to sing—no audition required. It operates on a gift economy in which participants and audiences alike pay what they want. It exclusively performs works of living composers. It directs proceeds to chosen causes. It has some 90 singers now. They meet weekly and perform biannually. They take an annual retreat, play games, forge decisions by way of consensus.
Julie Earnest, one of the co-founders, says Farrar is less concerned with the immediate performance at hand—the technical harmonies of a traditional choir—as with developing a long-range community commitment toward musical excellence.
Lynn Fendler, another co-founder, adds: “Rather than going for one particular sound, DeReau takes the position of, ‘We have a group of people. This is who we are. And the sound we make is something new. It’s unique in the world. And the way we make it good is to vibe together. And to raise the energy together. And to care for one another. It’s a different kind of aim.’”
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2026 here!
