History Main / OpeningChorus

* The wordless hum of the chorus in the "Overture" to ''BloodBrothers''.

* "The Old Red Hills of Home" from ''Theatre/{{Parade}}''

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* Non-theatre example: Almost all of Music/JohannSebastianBach's cantatas start with an opening chorus, though a few aversions do exist (notably the Coffee Cantata, or ''Schweight stille, plaudert nicht'', which starts with a recitative). Usually cantatas that do not start with a chorus instead start with a Sinfonia movement (a completely instrumental movement).

[[folder:Web Video]]
* "In the Haven" from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU9MduXvaXQ Episode One]] of ''WebAnimation/OfWeaselsAndChickens''.
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* In a rare example of Creator/{{Disney}} subverting stuff, many of Disney's opening numbers are not [[CrowdSong Crowd Songs]]. [[WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}} "Circle of Life"]] (with a large ensemble standing around being interesting looking), [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame "The Bells of Notre Dame"]], and [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} "Arabian Nights"]] are all sung by one person. However, [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast "Belle"]], [[WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}} "Fathoms Below"]], and both [[WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} "The Virginia Company" and "Steady as the Beating Drum"]] do fall under this.

* In a rare example of Creator/{{Disney}} subverting stuff, many of Disney's opening numbers are not [[CrowdSong Crowd Songs]]. "The Circle of Life" from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' (with a large ensemble standing around being interesting looking), "The Bells of Notre Dame" from ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', and "Arabian Nights" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' are all sung by one person. However, "Belle" from ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', "The Virginia Company" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' and "Fathoms Below" from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' do fall under this.
** Most of the old Disney movies started with a chorale song being sung over the opening credits.
* "Frozen Heart" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', sung by a group of ice harvesters.

* ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' starts with ''Alexander Hamilton'', a song describing the first 19 or so years of Hamilton's life from his birth to his travel to America, told verse by verse by each of the other actors save the ones playing Angelica and Peggy/Maria. It ends with each actor briefly - and dramatically - stating their relation to Hamilton (deliberately written so that their statement applies equally to both characters for the actors who play more than one).

* [[WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas Boys and girls of every age/wouldn't you like to see something strange?/Come with us and you will see/this our town of Halloween . . .]]

* "After Today" from ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie''
* "I Wanna Be A Boy" from the film version of ''WesternAnimation/TeachersPet''

* In a rare example of Creator/{{Disney}} subverting stuff, many of Disney's opening numbers are not [[CrowdSong Crowd Songs]]. "The Circle of Life" from ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (with a large ensemble standing around being interesting looking), "The Bells of Notre Dame" from ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', and "Arabian Nights" from ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' are all sung by one person. However, "Belle" from ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', "The Virginia Company" from ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}}'' and "Fathoms Below" from ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' do fall under this.

* "Frozen Heart" from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', sung by a group of ice harvesters.

Many a musical doesn't make the audience wait to hear the ensemble sing. So, it'll start the very first scene (possibly after a short prologue) with a CrowdSong, often a [[EarWorm catchy one]]. Often includes solo verses to help introduce the characters.

* ''Theatre/WesterosAnAmericanMusical'': "King Robert Baratheon" has serveral characters take turns at telling the audience the story of how Robert became King.

* The film version of ''Theatre/{{Rent}}'' opens with "Seasons of Love'; the stage opening is just one guy singing.

* A semi-aversion in ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'': The show starts of with Millie singing "Not for the Life of Me", a full song and a separate track on the CD, as a solo, but it segues directly into the choral title number. Interestingly, even though the tracks are listed separately on the original cast recording, if you listen to only the song "Thoroughly Modern Millie", you will still hear Millie sing the last note of "Not for the Life of Me".

* The Sondheim musical ''Merrily We Roll Along'' originally started (and ended) with "The Hills Of Tomorrow." This OpeningChorus and the following scene were removed in revisions, making the title song the OpeningChorus.

* "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" from StephenSondheim's ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet''.

* "Ohmigod You Guys" in ''LegallyBlondeTheMusical''

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* "We Saw The Sea" from the movie ''Follow the Fleet''.
* The film version of Theatre/{{Rent}} opens with "Seasons of Love'; the stage opening is just one guy singing.

* The third ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' movie started out with one as well, "We Live in Manhattan".
* In a rare example of Creator/{{Disney}} subverting stuff, many of Disney's opening numbers are not [[CrowdSong Crowd Songs]]. "The Circle of Life" from ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (with a large ensemble standing around being interesting looking), "The Bells of Notre Dame" from ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', and "Arabian Nights" from ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' are all sung by one person. However, "Belle" from ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', "The Virginia Company" from ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}}'' and "Fathoms Below" from ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' do fall under this.
** Most of the old Disney movies started with a chorale song being sung over the opening credits.

* "We Saw The Sea" from the movie ''Follow the Fleet''.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas Boys and girls of every age/wouldn't you like to see something strange?/Come with us and you will see/this our town of Halloween . . .]]

* The film version of Theatre/{{Rent}} opens with "Seasons of Love'; the stage opening is just one guy singing.

* "Kids Just Being Kids" from ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents: School's Out! The Musical''
* "After Today" from ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie''
* "I Wanna Be A Boy" from the film version of ''WesternAnimation/TeachersPet''

* Non-theatre example: Almost all of Music/JohannSebastianBach's cantatas start with an opening chorus, though a few aversions do exist (notably the Coffee Cantata, or ''Schweight stille, plaudert nicht'', which starts with a recitative). Usually cantatas that do not start with a chorus instead start with a Sinfonia movement (a completely instrumental movement).
* "Frozen Heart" from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', sung by a group of ice harvesters.
** Technically, "Vuelie" was also this, as it was sung straight from the beginning - right when the Disney castle animation appears.

* "In the Haven" from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU9MduXvaXQ Episode One]] of ''WebAnimation/OfWeaselsAndChickens''.