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Join Choir of the Earth for a short summer course that embodies both the sublime and the ridiculous, as we learn, sing and record two very different songs from the screen: May It Be, performed by Enya for the Lord of the Rings movie, and Mah-Nah-Mah-Nah, as performed by The Muppets!
What we will learn
During two weeks of online teaching, we will explore these diverse pieces both as a full choir and in voice part sections, before you have the opportunity to record your part from home to be part of our final performance. There will also be a short video project that is going to be a lot of fun!
May It Be
Written for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), May It Be is performed by Enya over the film’s closing credits. Created by Enya (Eithne Ní Bhraonáin) with her long-standing collaborators, producer Nicky Ryan and lyricist Roma Ryan, the song offers reassurance and hope in the face of darkness, reflecting the uncertainty and courage of Frodo’s journey. Its lyrics combine English with Quenya, one of the Elvish languages created by J. R. R. Tolkien, giving it a particularly close connection to the world of Middle-earth. Enya’s distinctive layered vocals and the gentle melody helped make it one of the film’s most memorable musical moments, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. We will sing Mark Brymer’s choral arrangement.
Mah-Nah-Mah-Nah
With its nonsense syllables, catchy tune and playful exchanges, Mah-Nah-Mah-Nah is closely associated with the musical humour of The Muppets. Italian composer Piero Umiliani originally wrote it in 1968, and it enjoyed success as a single before becoming a television favourite. The familiar pairing of the shaggy-haired Mahna Mahna and his two pink backing singers, the Snowths, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, before bringing their routine to The Muppet Show in 1976. Much of the comedy comes from the contrast between the Snowths’ unchanging refrain and their increasingly adventurous partner, who repeatedly abandons the tune for bursts of scat singing. Markus Detterbeck’s choral arrangement brings this much-loved piece of television musical mischief to our Songs from the Screen programme.
About the composers
© facebook.com/officialenya
Enya (Eithne Ní Bhraonáin) (1961 -)
Enya is an Irish singer, composer and musician from Gweedore, County Donegal. Born into a musical family, she began her professional career with Clannad before developing her distinctive solo sound, combining layers of her own voice with keyboards and influences from Irish and classical music. Her 1988 album Watermark brought international success with Orinoco Flow, and her recordings have earned four Grammy Awards.
Screen music played an important part in her early career, including her soundtrack for the BBC documentary series The Celts. Her ability to create atmosphere through music later found a natural home in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, for which she performed the Oscar-nominated May It Be.
Piero Umiliani (1926–2001)
Piero Umiliani was an Italian composer, pianist and arranger whose music brought jazz, playful rhythms and a wide variety of instrumental colours to the screen. Born in Florence, he developed a passion for jazz that shaped a prolific career encompassing more than 150 film scores.
His music accompanied comedies, thrillers, westerns and documentaries, drawing on styles ranging from swing and bossa nova to funk and electronic sounds. Alongside his film work, he produced music for use in television and other media, demonstrating a talent for creating memorable moods and melodies. Mah-Nah-Mah-Nah became his most widely recognised composition, finding a lasting international audience through The Muppets and introducing generations of viewers to his musical humour.
Our teaching and resources
The course will be directed by Choir of the Earth Musical Director Ben England, who teaches the music note by note and voice part by voice part through a programme of online rehearsals. Each week begins with a full choir rehearsal, followed by separate sessions focusing on individual voice parts. Rehearsals are usually around an hour long and, if you cannot attend live, every session is recorded, so you can catch up when it suits you best.
You will also have access to high-quality voice part louder rehearsal tracks to help you learn the music between rehearsals. Separate tracks are provided for each voice part, with your part louder than the other voices so that you can hear it clearly while you learn. These are the same tracks used during our rehearsals, so as Ben teaches the music you can hear exactly what you need to replicate - not only the notes and rhythms, but also the phrasing, dynamics, pronunciation and other musical details that bring each piece to life.
You can attend as many rehearsals as you like, learn more than one voice part if you wish, and take the course at your own pace. There is no requirement to record: some singers simply enjoy the teaching, while others submit their voice from home to become part of our final performance.
Both works are under copyright, so you will need to buy scores at a small extra cost, which will be yours to keep. We will provide information about how to order these.
Join us!
Everyone is welcome to join Choir of the Earth. There are no auditions - just sign up as a member and you’re already in!
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Hear us in action
Please enjoy some of our previous performances of songs from the screen, including a special video recorded by the fantastic singers from our global Choir. Will you be part of our next premiere? 🎶🎞️
Disclaimer: While we make every effort to ensure that courses proceed on the dates and with the content advertised, unforeseen circumstances may require changes on occasion. We endeavour to minimise such alterations, but we reserve the right to make adjustments if necessary.