Singing in Harmony: From Brisbane Pubs to the AGT Stage
Astrid Jorgensen has turned singalongs into an international movement. The 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane started her Pub Choir experiment in 2017 by gathering tipsy strangers at a local bar to belt out pop songs in three-part harmony. Today, she’s leading sold-out shows across the globe, connecting thousands through music — and recently, she stunned America’s Got Talent (AGT) with a live audience performance that’s gone viral.
From humble beginnings in Brisbane pubs to a major moment on a US reality TV stage, Jorgensen’s mission remains simple: to get people to put down their phones, let go of their inhibitions, and just sing.
The performance, which stunned the judges, [Source: YouTube]
A Viral Moment on America’s Got Talent
When Astrid Jorgensen stepped onto the AGT stage, viewers expected another solo vocalist aiming to impress the judges. But Jorgensen flipped the format on its head. Instead of singing herself, she introduced her act as the “biggest choir in the world” and began conducting the entire audience in a singalong of Toto’s iconic hit “Africa,” accompanied by guitarist Sahara Beck.
The result was instant magic.
Simon Cowell applauded the performance, calling it “really smart.” He highlighted how Jorgensen managed to unite the crowd within 20 seconds and declared, “To have the capacity to do that, and to let the audience win the show — that’s brilliant.” Howie Mandel chimed in with praise, saying, “I loved it. I think the world loves a singalong.”
Not every judge was convinced. Sofia Vergara called it “a really cute moment” but questioned its format, while Mel B said no, stating, “This is your audition, not their audition.” Nevertheless, with three yeses, Jorgensen moved on to the next round.
The clip, titled “Nobody Saw This Coming!”, quickly went viral. It racked up more than 38,000 views on YouTube and over 50,000 likes on Instagram within days. During the time of writing, it had over 3.1 million views.
Watch the performance of Astrid Jorgensen by clicking the play button below:
A Fast Track to Community
In a nation that often feels divided, Jorgensen sees her performances as a form of healing. “When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,” she said. “In America, it feels like an antidote to whatever’s happening in their own communities.”
She deliberately chooses upbeat, familiar songs that encourage participation rather than perfection. “If you bring some cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they’re going to do a bad job,” she explained. “I just want people to feel like they’re winning — because it’s just singing. It’s not that big a deal.”
By removing pressure and adding joy, Jorgensen believes singing together offers a unique and unifying experience. “It’s such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.”
Australian talent Astrid Jorgensen [Source: X/@JorgensenAstrid]
From Catholic Choirs to Global Stages
Jorgensen grew up Catholic and nearly became a nun, until she realised the uplifting feeling she experienced in church came not from the sermons, but from the communal singing. That feeling inspired her to pursue a career in music education, and later, in creating spaces where everyday people could sing without fear of judgment.
Her mission goes beyond the music. She actively discourages phone use at shows, encouraging participants to engage fully with those around them. “I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people,” she admits. “It’s a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others… hold someone’s hand.”
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Life on Tour and Beyond
Back in Brisbane after her whirlwind US tour, Jorgensen is preparing for even more. She has shows lined up in Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland this August, followed by a memoir titled Average At Best, launching in September. An Australian and New Zealand tour will follow in October and November.
Even with this busy schedule, Jorgensen stays grounded. She appeared on Zoom recently from her bedroom, trying to quiet her chihuahua Penny, who gets furious anytime someone tries to take Jorgensen’s attention away. In many ways, Penny reflects the same fiercely loyal energy that fans of Pub Choir bring to their shows.
A Moment of Connection in a Fractured World
After her final US performance in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited the entire audience to say hello. Many told her the experience had helped them feel reconnected — not just to music, but to each other.
“People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they’d been feeling for… years even,” she said. “And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible.”
With just a microphone and the willingness to be vulnerable, Astrid Jorgensen has given people something rare: a chance to come together, even if only for the length of a song.
