Scala & Kolacny Brothers

In April 1996 Scala, a Belgian girls choir blending modern rock sensibilities with choral singing, convened its opening rehearsal before an ensemble of 18 vocalists. Pianist Steven Kolacny and conductor Stijn Kolacny initially shaped the singers as a classical unit, though membership swelled after the group captured multiple prizes, among them the distinction of Belgium’s Choir of the Year in 1999.

Early in the following decade the Kolacny brothers tired of classical repertoire and looked elsewhere for ideas, forging a singular body of work built around rock songs recast for choir. With membership now exceeding 200 voices, Scala issued its first recordings in 2002. The opening album, On the Rocks, presented choral arrangements of signature pieces by Nirvana, Garbage, and Radiohead; further releases appeared at roughly six-month intervals, among them an international edition of On the Rocks and a volume devoted to Steven Kolacny’s original material.

Recognition increased, yet the ensemble stayed a cult attraction until 2010, when the trailer for The Social Network spotlighted the group’s atmospheric reading of Radiohead’s “Creep,” the same version featured on its debut record. The clip spread rapidly online, surpassing one million YouTube views inside three months. Partly because of Scala’s contribution to the trailer’s appeal, offers arrived from record companies, and the group secured a U.S. agreement with Atco Records shortly before the film opened. Its self-titled Atco album, containing “Creep” and additional covers, reached stores in March 2011.