A virtual choir, online choir or home choir is a

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

whose members do not meet physically but who work together online from separate places. Some choirs just sing for the joy of the shared experience, while others record their parts alone and send their digital recordings, sometimes including video, to be collated into a choral performance. There may be a series of rehearsals which singers can watch online, and their performance recordings may be made while watching a video of the conductor, and in some cases listening to a backing track, to ensure unanimity of timing. The worldwide

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

in 2020 inspired a large growth in the number of virtual choirs, although the idea was not new. Online choirs can make singing accessible to would-be choristers who are unable to joining 'in-person' or 'face-to-face' choirs due to issues such as disability, caring responsibilities, geographical restrictions, lack of local opportunities, cost, or a lack of confidence to perform or audition in front of others. For example those who use hearing aids may find it difficult to take part in a 'same-room' choir due to interference from multiple sources of sound, but could benefit from the more direct digital sound of an online choir rehearsal and/or the text-based chat offered by some online choirs.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

American composer and conductor

Eric Whitacre Eric Edward Whitacre (born January2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music. In March2016, he was appointed as Los Angeles Master Chorale's first artist-in-residence at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. ...

has led six iterations of his Virtual Choir, starting in 2009. He was inspired by a young singer Britlin Losee who contacted him after posting a YouTube recording of herself singing the soprano part of his work ''

Sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

''. In his first version, 185 singers from 12 countries sang his ''

Lux Aurumque ''Lux Aurumque'' ("Light and Gold", sometimes "Light of Gold") is a choral composition in one movement by Eric Whitacre. It is a Christmas piece based on a Latin poem of the same name, which translates as "Light, warm and heavy as pure gold, and ...

'', watching a video of him conducting. By 2020, over 20,000 singers from 124 countries had participated in the choir, and Whitacre launched his Virtual Choir 6 to sing a new work "Sing Gently". 17,572 people in 129 countries had contributed their recordings by the closing date in May 2020.

Virtual choirs during COVID-19 "lockdown"

Many virtual choirs were set up during the "lockdown" caused by the 2020

, when people could not meet to sing together. ChoirCast was set up as Choirantine in April 2020 by Bristol-based singing teacher Eliza Fyfe, kick-starting with their debut "

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack ...

" which featured

Gareth Malone Gareth Edmund Malone (born 9 November 1975) is an English choirmaster and broadcaster, self-described as an "animateur, presenter and populariser of choral singing". He is best known for his television appearances in programmes such as '' The ...

. ChoirCast have been producing monthly videos ever since, edited by Martin Elsbury, editor of Netflix documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. They usually feature a band, with the sound mixed by music producers Daniel Edney, Kristian Bressington and Charles Grimsdale and popular song arrangements written by Eliza. This particular choir focuses on smaller numbers to enable singers to stand out more, even including soloists, yet still featuring people from all around the world. The Collective Virtual Choir was set up in March 2020 by Simon Lubkowski, a Director of Music at a college in England. A prominent Barbershop singer and leader of several community based choirs in Leicestershire, Simon leads the choir from his garden shed studio along with his entirely voluntary Music Team who are based in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. The choir stages daily rehearsals with sessions timed to suit different time zones, since the choir has almost 4,000 registered participants from 66 countries, alongside providing technical support and social events and activities via the medium of Zoom. The Collective produced its first song, White Cliffs of Dover, on 17 April 2020. Since then it has produced 23 further songs and a 27-song Christmas Show (The Collective and Friends at Christmas). The Collective is free to join and participate in. It runs daily rehearsals and, in addition, offers full technical support to its singers as well as social events/activities all via the medium of Zoom. The Collective Virtual Choir plans a Harmony College weekend (Free for registered singers), a Double CD Album and a Collective Live event in 2022. In Australia, Couch Choir evolved from the pre-existing face-to-face

Pub Choir Pub Choir is a musical act founded in Capel Sound, Australia, directed by Paul Dillon. 2] At each Pub Choir event Dillon arranges a popular song and teaches it to the audience in three-part harmony, concluding with a performance which is filmed ...

with an "ongoing mission to bring strangers together for a sing-song", according to ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

''. Since inception in March 2020, Couch Choir has chalked up millions of views with over 10,000 singers lending their voices to songs by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

and

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

. Their July 2020 video of

The Killers The Killers are an American rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingd ...

"All These Things That I've Done" included 1,534 contributions from people in 40 countries., and was shared by The Killers across social media. Couch Choir's videos have been featured on

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

Australian Story ''Australian Story'' is a national weekly current affairs and documentary style television series which is broadcast on ABC Television. It is produced specifically by the ABC News and Current Affairs Department. The program first aired on 29 ...

and ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...

''.

launched The Great British Home Chorus on Monday 23 March 2020 on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

and conducted 50 half-hour rehearsals (Monday-Friday with a "half term" break) up to Friday 12 June, moving thereafter to weekly rehearsals. He worked from his garden studio, with technical assistance from Decca Record. The choir produced a CD including the voices of 11,000 singers, featuring the songs "

You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. In 1977, the Louis ...

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

's " Ordinary World", Keane's "

Somewhere Only We Know "Somewhere Only We Know" is a song composed and performed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as the first single from their debut album, ''Hopes and Fears'' (2004). The single peaked at number three on the UK Singles C ...

" and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

's "

I'm Still Standing "I'm Still Standing" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, from John's 1983 album ''Too Low for Zero''. It was the second single released from the album in the UK, and the first single released in the Un ...

", accompanied by members of the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

. In March 2020, U.S. music student

Harrison Sheckler Harrison Sheckler (born April 23, 1996) is an American classical pianist, composer, actor, and virtual choir conductor. Early life Sheckler was born in Rochester, MN and grew up in Charles City, IA, and began playing piano at age of 6 and vi ...

organized 300 singers and musicians from 15 countries and created a music video of the show tune “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from the 1945

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...

musical ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

''. It was viewed more than 1.5 million times on YouTube. Quarantine Choir (now Homechoir ) was launched in March 2020 b
Ben England
a choral director, conductor and music teacher from Bristol, with the original intention of keeping his face-to-face choir members singing during lockdown. The choir has since attracted thousands of singers from around the world, and Ben was awarded a

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...

in the

2020 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...

for services to the community during COVID-19. Homechoir broadcasts sessions live on YouTube four days a week, teaching a wide range of music, including traditional choral and classical, folk, gospel, sea shanties, children’s songs and silly songs. Ben also teaches a series of short 'Deep Dive' lectures on topics such as music theory, history and composing. Homechoir's singers have recorded several video and audio performances from home, mixed by Ben and streamed on the channel. The Self-Isolation Choir (now Choir of the Earth) was launched in March 2020 by businessman Mark Strachan, with Musical Director Ben England, and initially worked towards a performance of

Handel’s Messiah ''Messiah'' (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Bible, Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin o ...

. The production included 3,600 voices, 4 professional soloists, and a 9-member

baroque orchestra A Baroque orchestra is an ensemble for mixed instruments that existed during the Baroque era of Western Classical music, commonly identified as 1600–1750. Baroque orchestras are typically much smaller, in terms of the number of performers, than t ...

, who all recorded their parts in isolation, and the final, studio-mixed performance was broadcast on Sunday 31 May 2020. Within its first year, the choir ran 30 courses, covering a wide range of classical and contemporary choral works and, as at July 2021, had more than 6,000 members. In February 2021, Ben England conducted a "world tour" of Mendelssohn's

Elijah Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) was, according to the Books of ...

, performing the choir's concert performance three times in one day for different time zones. On 29 April 2021, more than 1,000 SIC members performed in ''All Things Bright and Virtual'', a celebration of hymns directed by

Ralph Allwood Ralph Allwood (born 30 April 1950) is a British choral conductor, composer and teacher, who currently holds the appointment of Fellow Commoner advising in Music at Queens' College, Cambridge. He was previously the Precentor and Director of Mus ...

and featuring

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

Bryn Terfel Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, (; born 9 November 1965) (known professionally as Bryn Terfel) is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', ''Leporello'' and ''D ...

Libby Purves Elizabeth Mary Purves, (born 2 February 1950) is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. Early life and career Born in London, a diplomat's daughter, Purves was raised in her mother's Catholic faith and educated at convent school ...

John Rutter John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutte ...

Alexander Armstrong Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter and singer. He is the host of the BBC One game show ''Pointless'', as well as the morning show on Classic FM. He is ...

Katherine Jenkins Katherine Maria Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo-soprano and performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre, and hymns.Wynne Evans Wynne Evans BEM MStJ (born 27 January 1972) is a Welsh singer and actor, known for his role as Gio Compario and laterly himself in the Go.compare insurance adverts on television in the United Kingdom. Evans sang the role of Ubaldo Piangi i ...

, and

Harry Christophers Richard Henry Tudor "Harry" Christophers CBE FRSCM (born 26 December 1953) is an English conductor. Life and career Richard Henry Tudor Christophers was born in Goudhurst, Kent. He was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral under choirmaster Al ...

. On 31 May 2021, SIC celebrated the anniversary of its first performance with a completely new recording of Handel's Messiah, dubbing it "Hallelujah Day". On 9 April 2021, SIC released its first single, '' Miserere'', directed by

Nigel Short Nigel David Short (born 1 June 1965) is an English chess grandmaster, columnist, coach, and commentator, who is the vice-president of FIDE since October 2018. Short earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 19, and was ranked third in the w ...

, and donated all profits to

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...

in honour of

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

, who died on that day. The choir later recorded Prince Philip's favourite hymn, "

Eternal Father, Strong to Save "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a British hymn traditionally associated with seafarers, particularly in the maritime armed services. Written in 1860, its author, William Whiting, was inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psalm ...

", and presented its performance to

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during h ...

on 10 June 2021 to commemorate what would have been her late husband's 100th birthday. The Sofa Singers was founded by choir leader and performe
James Sills
in March 2020, with global members meeting twice a week on Zoom to sing together. The music covered is primarily pop and motown classics from the 1960s to more contemporary hits. Each session finishes with an open mic opportunity, where singers can share with others around the world, for example music, poetry, arts, craft, or their pets. In May 2020, James was awarded a

Points Of Light Points of Light is an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Georgia, United States dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service. Each year, Points of ...

award in recognition of his work to help combat feelings of isolation during the pandemic through his work with the Sofa Singers. The Stay at Home Choir] was founded in mid March 2020 by conducto
Tori Longdon
and bariton
Jamie Wright
During the pandemic, the Choir worked recorded projects with professional musicians including

The King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 19 ...

The Sixteen The Sixteen are a United Kingdom-based choir and period instrument orchestra; founded by Harry Christophers, they started as an unnamed group of sixteen friends in 1977, giving their first billed concert in 1979. The group performs early Engl ...

, The Swingles,

Marin Alsop Marin Alsop ( �mɛər.ɪn ˈæːl.sɑːp born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor, the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. She is music director laureate ...

, the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

Voces8 Voces8, styled VOCES8, is an a cappella octet from England. They have appeared internationally and made recordings of classical music, jazz, pop, and their own arrangements. Recent recordings are for Decca Classics and under their own label, Voc ...

and

Christopher Tin Christopher Chiyan Tin (born May 21, 1976) is an American composer of art music, often composed for film and video game soundtracks. His work is primarily orchestral and choral, often with a world music influence. He has won two Grammy Awar ...

. Its largest and one of its longest projects to date, in collaboration with Classic FM, was

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; '' Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. J ...

The Armed Man ''The Armed Man'' is a Mass by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, subtitled "A Mass for Peace". The piece was commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum for the Millennium celebrations, to mark the museum's move from London to Leeds, and it was dedic ...

, which premiered in August 2020. Stay At Home Choir received one of the first Royal Philharmonic Society Awards for Inspiration in November 2020.

Virtual choral activities by existing choirs during the pandemic

During the

some existing choirs developed innovative ways to rehearse or perform together remotely. The

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on f ...

's virtual choir recorded "

Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) ...

" for the annual

Anzac Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

commemoration at which the MSO Chorus would normally have performed. The Rexburg Children's Choir in

Rexburg, Idaho Rexburg is a city in Madison County, Idaho, United States. The population was 39,409 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County and its largest city. Rexburg is the principal city of the Rexburg, ID Micropolitan Statist ...

, United States, featured on

NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' for its weeknight broadcasts since June 22, 2015) is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NBC television network in the Un ...

with their virtual performance of ''For Unto Us a Child is Born''. Each of the 100 singers, aged 10 to 17, came individually to a central location to sing, conducted by director Ben Watson, in front of a

green screen Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two images or video streams together based on colour hues ( chroma range). The technique has been used in many fields to r ...

, and these films were combined to show the whole choir apparently singing together.

Inside Edition ''Inside Edition'' is an American news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed in first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine program that is n ...

highlighted the virtual choral performance as part of their national broadcast the following day. Software was developed aimed specifically at school choirs, so that pupils isolated at home could sing together.

Virtual choirs after the pandemic

Several online choirs established during the

announced their intentions to continue to deliver online choral singing after the end of lockdown restrictions.

Choir of the Earth

On 16 July 2021, The Self-Isolation Choir's Founder, Mark Strachan, announced the choir's rebranding as Choir of the Earth - a name intended to reflect its post-pandemic future, global presence and commitment to environmentally-friendly singing. He also announced the choir's first online Festival of Choral Music in early November 2021, featuring teaching and conversations with John Warner,

, Harry Bradford, Ellie Slorach,

, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, Ben England, Donald Palumbo,

Ashley Riches Ashley Riches is a British operatic baritone. Riches studied at Winchester College and King's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in English and sang in Choir of King's College, Cambridge, King's College Choir under Stephen Cleobury. He cont ...

, Helen Charlston,

Patrick Hawes Patrick Hawes (born 1958) is a British composer, conductor, organist and pianist. Biography Born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, the son of publican parents, Hawes grew up in pubs along the Lincolnshire coast and was educated at De Aston School. ...

, Marina Mahler, and more. As well as a wide repertoire of choral singing courses, Choir of the Earth also offers historical lectures, singing skills courses and 'In Conversation With' interviews with key figures in the choral world through its ''Around Sound'' series. In November 2021, journalist, presenter and author

John Suchet John Aleck Suchet ( ; born 29 March 1944) is an English author, television news journalist, and presenter of classical music on Classic FM. Suchet has two brothers, one of whom is the actor Sir David Suchet. Early life Suchet was born in Lon ...

led a series of ''Around Sound'' talks on

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

. In October 2021, guest director

led over 2,000 voices in a performance of 40-part choral motet

Spem in Alium ''Spem in alium'' (Latin for "Hope in any other") is a 40-part Renaissance motet by Thomas Tallis, composed in c. 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. It is considered by some critics to be the greatest piece of English early music. H. B. ...

Thomas Tallis Thomas Tallis (23 November 1585; also Tallys or Talles) was an English composer of High Renaissance music. His compositions are primarily vocal, and he occupies a primary place in anthologies of English choral music. Tallis is considered one o ...

. The Choir produced a video to accompany its performance, which simultaneously shows Nigel Short conducting each of the 40 parts individually. In December 2021, Musical Director Ben England conducted the Choir in a special broadcast of

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...

from the

Foundling Museum The Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, London tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, Britain's first home for children at risk of abandonment. The museum houses the nationally important Foundling Hospital Collection as well as the Gerald ...

in London. In January 2022, the Choir's Founder, Mark Strachan, received a

in the

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

List 2022 for his work with the Choir and its charitable services to musicians during the

. On 9 February 2022, Choir of the Earth performed Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler under the direction of conductor John Warner and in partnership with the Mahler Foundation and the Orchestra for the Earth. The performance included 1,200 vocal parts, including the children's choir of the Conservatorio Gustav Mahler in

Irapuato Irapuato is a Mexican city (and municipality) located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of t ...

, Mexico and soloists from Sansara Choir, and is believed to the only performance of this large-scale work to ever be recorded, mixed and performed remotely. Choir of the Earth partnered with the

Royal School of Church Music The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, tr ...

for its Music Sunday celebrations in both 2021 and 2022, performing the competition-winning

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

''God Of All Creation'' by Chris Totney under the direction of the RSCM's Director Hugh Morris on 6 June 2021, and performing an online

Evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which became ...

service with the Choral Evensong Trust under the direction of

on 12 June 2022. In May 2022, Choir of the Earth partnered with international conducto
Saul Zaks
to publicise the story and music of Shchedryk children's choir, the children of which had been displaced by the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. With the aim of sharing Shchedryk's music with the world, Saul, Choir of the Earth and a small international team established a recording project where choirs and individuals worldwide could learn and record one of Shchedryk's recently recorded pieces - a lullaby called Ходить зайчик ("The Bunny Walks"). On 15 June 2022, Choir of the Earth premiered the final performance of ''The Bunny Walks'', conducted by Saul Zaks, which featured 2,000 vocal submissions from singers around the world. On 2 June 2022, Choir of the Earth premiered its performance of

God Save The Queen "God Save the King" is the national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in plainchant, bu ...

- a new arrangement by

, featuring a new third verse written for the

Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952, the first British monarch to ever celebrate one. In the United Kingdom, the ...

by poet Alexandra Brooke and accompanied by

Luke Bond Luke Bond (born 2 February 1980) is a British organist and is currently Assistant Organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he played prominently for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke ...

on the organ at

St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gar ...

. The performance, featuring over 2,500 vocal recordings, was commercially released as a single by Pretty Decent Music on 3 June 2022. As of July 2022, the Choir has run over 80 online courses, with plans for more to come in 2022 and beyond. In May 2022, Choir of the Earth announced its foray into live events via a

'Come and Sing' Tour, with initial dates and venues across the UK and Ireland, starting in London on 22 October 2022 and ending in Belfast on 15 April 2023. The Choir hopes to take the Messiah Tour to further international locations in 2023/24. Throughout summer and autumn 2022, Musical Director Ben England will lead Choir of the Earth through intense rehearsals of

A Mass Of Life ''A Mass of Life'' (German: ''Eine Messe des Lebens'') is a cantata by English composer Frederick Delius, based on the German text of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel ''Thus Spoke Zarathustra'' (1883-1885). In 1898, Delius had written a m ...

Frederick Delius Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius ( 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934), originally Fritz Delius, was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted atte ...

ahead of a ground-breaking, hybrid live/online performance of the work alongside the

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The Musical Society), it later changed its name t ...

and Chorus, led by chorus master Håkon Matti Skrede, and conducted by

Mark Elder Sir Mark Philip Elder (born 2 June 1947) is a British conductor. He is currently music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England. Life and career Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist. He played the ba ...

. The live element will be recorded at the Norwegian premiere of A Mass Of Life on 22–23 September 2022, with the hybrid performance incorporating the digitally recorded singers to be screened in late 2022.

Homechoir

In July 2021, Homechoir's Founder and Musical Director, Ben England, confirmed it would continue with four sessions per week beyond lockdown. As well as its usual singing and teaching sessions, Homechoir has also established an ongoing series of free online singing projects using a unique approach to recording and mixing called ''Sing & Send''. On 5 June 2022, Homechoir partnered with St George's Bristol, Bristol Choral Society, City of Bristol Brass Band, the Fitzhardinge Consort and members of the public to perform a mass rendition of the

Hallelujah Chorus ''Messiah'' ( HWV 56), the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts. This listing covers Part II in a table and comments on individual movements, reflecting the relation of the musical se ...

from

Handel's Messiah ''Messiah'' (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 ...

in a

flash mob A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via t ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

to celebrate the

Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the Platinum jubilee, 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952, the first British monarch to ever celebrate one. In the Un ...

. On 26 June 2022, Homechoir performed ''Sanctus'' from Fauré's Requiem as the official choir performance for the inaugura
Celebration Day
Ben's work with Homechoir has led to him receiving the 2021 Kantele of the Year award from the Finnish Kantele Association, the 2022 Alumni Award for Community Engagement and Impact from the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, and being shortlisted as a Finalist for the Francesca Hanley Inspiration Award at the 202
Music and Drama Education Awards

The Sofa Singers

The Sofa Singers continues to meet twice weekly on Zoom, aiming to ''"spark joy and human connection"'' through singing together. The sessions are co-hosted by choir leader, performer and author James Sills and singer-songwriter, choir leader and vocal tutor Mersey Wylie, daughter of

Pete Wylie Peter James Wylie (born 22 March 1958) is an English singer/songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of the band variously known as Wah!, Wah! Heat, Shambeko! Say Wah!, JF Wah!, The Mighty Wah! and Wah! The Mongrel. Career Early b ...

. The group was featured in a special ''Royal Carols: Together at Christmas'' carol service hosted by

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely next ...

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

and broadcast on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

on Christmas Eve 2021.

Stay at Home Choir

The Stay At Home Choir has called itself ''"a virtual choir for all time".'' The choir holds interactive rehearsals and technical webinars using

Zoom Zoom may refer to: Technology Computing * Zoom (software), videoconferencing application * Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display * Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...

, which are recorded and archived to its private website for members. In March 2022, there was a registered membership of more than 29,000 singers. Since pandemic restrictions ended in July 2021, Stay at Home Choir has continued to run projects with professional musicians such as

Morten Lauridsen Morten Johannes Lauridsen (born February 27, 1943) is an American composer. A National Medal of Arts recipient (2007), he was composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994 to 2001, and is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of ...

, the

Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien'', or RSO Wien) is the orchestra of the Austrian national broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF). Unlike most other Austrian orchestras, the RSO Wien has a sub ...

I Fagiolini I Fagiolini is a British vocal ensemble specialising in early music and contemporary music. Founded by Robert Hollingworth at Oxford in 1986, the group won the UK Early Music Network’s Young Artists’ Competition in 1988 and a Royal Philharmon ...

, The Swingles,

Simon Carrington Simon Carrington (born 1942) is an English conductor, singer and double bass player. He was a founding member and member for 25 years of the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble the King's Singers; he subsequently worked for 15 years in the United ...

, Choralspace Festival Chorus and

Frode Fjellheim Frode Fjellheim (born 27 August 1959 in Mussere) is a Southern Saami yoiker and musician (piano and synthesizer) from Norway. He is best known for his band Transjoik and as the composer of the 2002 song "Eatnemen Vuelie", which was later adapted ...

. Finished project recordings are published on

. Stay at Home Choir released its first album in November 2021 and is recording a second album during summer/autumn 2022.

Mental health effects

Researchers from

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

investigated the effect of virtual choirs on mental health and it is reported that "participants not only felt happier and experienced a noticeable boost in their self-esteem, but also reduced feelings of social isolation".

References

External links

*{{cite web , url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUdoCgnj9qA&feature=youtu.be , last=St Giles' Festival Choir , title=The Birth of the Virtual Choir, date=2020 ''A light-hearted YouTube video'' Choirs Cultural responses to the COVID-19 pandemic