Northern Nightingales Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Grace can’t wait to move from the Philippines to Canada to reunite with her mother, Angelica, after five long years of separation. Although she loves her Titas (aunties), who have been caring for her, and her childhood friends, Grace has missed her Mom and is excited for the adventure of moving to the big city that produced music legends like Drake, The Weeknd, Jessie Reyez, and Alessia Cara.
Grace arrives in Toronto in autumn to a warm welcome but finds it all rather overwhelming. When Grace and Angelica get dropped at Angelica’s simple three-bedroom apartment, she begins to feel the enormity of what has happened: she has travelled across the world and left her town, her friends, and her extended family to come live in a strange new land.
Grace’s initial excitement for ‘big-city life’ also wears off quickly when she gets her first taste of cold temperatures and cold shoulders. It’s some major culture shock! Now, she’s a small fish in a big pond in Canada where the food, the language, the clothes, and especially the weather are different. Her lucky tsinelas (flip-flops) aren’t really working for her and her favourite snack tuyo (dried fish that has a very distinct odour) can empty a room.
Of course, there are new opportunities that many people dream of, but it’s tough being away from the place she has always called home and now trying to fit in. Although Grace appreciates all of her Mom’s sacrifices, she feels awkward around her now and is frustrated by her strict rules and high expectations. The last time they spent any time together, Grace was eight-years-old. Now, Grace prefers singing and hanging with online ‘friends’ instead of sitting down to dinner with her mom. Angelica, who works long, stressful hours as a nurse, is equally at a loss on how to reconnect with her teen daughter.
Luckily, Grace and her Mom have Ria, Grace’s second-gen cousin (played by comedian, singer, and writer Isabel Kanaan), who is living with them while she finishes a university course. Ria takes Grace under her wing and acts more like a big sister. The two cousins make funny videos about Grace’s new experiences—comparing living in Canada to the Philippines—and are thrilled when they wrack up likes and views.
Grace starts school and hates it. She feels different and decides she doesn’t want to make new friends there. She spends a lot of time alone in her room while her mom is working and Ria is at class so she retreats online to sing her problems away and starts to obsess over her followers, likes, and views on social media.
Angelica is desperate to help her daughter adjust. She finds the perfect solution: Grace should join the Northern Nightingales, a non-denominational competitive youth choir that rehearses in the same church building where her Silayan Community Group meets. There, Grace can meet teens who love music, maybe even make new friends in spite of herself. Grace thinks choir sounds boring. Angelica suggests that the discipline, experience, and education will improve Grace’s singing and her chances of becoming a ‘real’ star. After all, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Avril Lavigne, and the late great Whitney Houston all started their singing careers in choirs.
It is extremely competitive to get into this choir—it only has nine singers. Angelica thinks that means all of them are nice! One of choir members has had to leave town for a while so Angelica convinces Marga, the choir director, to meet Grace as a substitute. She takes away Grace’s phone away until she agrees to audition. Angelica clarifies her ultimatum to Grace: ‘get a spot in that choir or say goodbye to your followers.’
Grace wins a spot in the choir just in time to start rehearsals for the choir’s holiday fundraiser concert. The choir needs a sponsor to be able to afford the entrance fee for the next Regional Competitive Choir Festival. The Northern Nightingales will need to be pitch perfect to get the heavy hitters that Marga has invited to the fundraiser concert to open their pockets and fund the Northern Nightingales’ dreams this season.
The Northern Nightingales choir is made up of diverse talented young teens who are both best friends and worst frenemies: they’re working towards a common goal of winning it all as a team but each wants to be a star. Some of the members have been training together for years and aren’t pleased when newbie Grace joins their well-oiled music machine. Grace goes to their first rehearsal, but she does not know all the verses of the song Silent Night very well and is embarrassed by a boy called Declan’s dismissive attitude. He’s classically trained with perfect pitch and very good. Luckily another girl in the choir, Sophia, offers to help her and diffuses the situation with some gentle teasing.
At the next rehearsal for the Nightingales, it’s revealed that the showstopper of the Holiday fundraiser concert will be a featured duet. Declan believes he of course should get the duet. The only question remains who will be his partner? As proof, he sings Se Vuol Ballare and it sounds fantastic. Everyone wants the spot in the duet, even Sophia. Grace, always the ambitious and determined go-getter, sets her sights on winning even though it is with Declan.
Adapting to a new world and being thirteen are never easy so Grace gets herself into lots of funny and awkward situations. Especially in the choir’s recreation room: a place all the kids hang out before and after rehearsal and during breaks. There’s a piano, a guitar, tables, chairs, and a kitchen and they frequently sing their original songs down there. On one break, Grace gets out her package of tuyo. Darren, who is Filipino, eagerly eats some and tells everyone else that they’re missing out: ‘it’s the best snack in the world!’ Sophie holds her nose and offers to try some. Ashley, Declan and the others start to cough and gag. Declan accuses Grace of trying to poison them. Grace records their reactions and makes a video singing about the comparison between Filipinos and Canadians smelling tuyo. Ria helps her edit. The video goes viral much to Declan’s chagrin.
On social media, Grace continues to document her choir journey to win the duet spot with Declan and to become a ‘star’ in Canada. The other choir members follow her: some are fans while Declan seems increasingly wary of Grace’s ascension towards his throne. Every rehearsal is filled with a little drama, some great talent, and some comedy, as the choir members, including Grace, learn not only music, but also to share the spotlight and work together towards a common goal.
Grace is conflicted between her obsession with social media success and with the choir. She is a few minutes late for a choir rehearsal after losing track of time online so she nearly gets suspended. She finds the discipline and teamwork hard, but she now truly wants the duet role. She and Sophia rehearse non-stop for the show. She seems to have overcome some ‘newcomer’ challenges and even made a friend. The day before the auditions Grace is crestfallen when she hears Marga is giving Declan a say in who wins the spot with him. Grace is positive Declan hates her and will choose his best friend Stella.
Who will Declan pick?
Will the Choir find a sponsor and make it to the Festival Competition?