Hallelujah: here we go again!
On 31 May 2021 - exactly one year after the Self-Isolation Choir’s Messiah debut - the Choir’s ”sound will go out” once again in a new and improved production with brand new vocals from around the world.
Disclaimer: Older news articles may refer to Choir of the Earth by our former name, ‘The Self-Isolation Choir’ or ‘SIC’.
As coronavirus restrictions finally begin to lift, many musicians are experiencing a “hallelujah” moment as they begin to perform once again. But one choir hit the headlines exactly a year ago for exclaiming “Hallelujah!” in the most literal and magnificent of ways… and now they’re doing it all over again!
Between March and May 2020, with the world in lockdown and steeped in uncertainty, more than 3,600 people from around the globe joined together online to learn and record Handel’s Messiah. It’s a tough challenge at the best of times, but the newly formed Self-Isolation Choir (SIC) had only nine weeks to pull it altogether, and all without anybody involved ever meeting!
On 31st May 2020, after many long hours of hard work for everyone involved, SIC performed Handel’s iconic oratorio online alongside a world-class baroque orchestra and phenomenal soloists, all of whom had also recorded their parts in isolation. The achievement hit the headlines, making national and international news and setting a new bar for the burgeoning field of digital singing. SIC’s Messiah At Home project even featured in a recent Newsnight piece reflecting on the early stages of the UK lockdown.
During the year since, SIC have gone from strength to strength, living up to their reputation as “the busiest choir in the world” and producing performances that truly show the ever-increasing skill and confidence of all those involved. The Choir received special commendation in the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Inspiration Award 2020 and over 10,000 people from 35 countries have signed up for the 30+ courses run to date, with exciting new projects being announced all the time.
In the last twelve months, SIC have collaborated with some of the biggest names on the UK classical music scene to record a hugely diverse range of choral pieces. Their work with Nigel Short and his award-winning Tenebrae Choir on Allegri’s Miserere was so well-received that it became SIC’s first single. Meanwhile the Choir’s version of Patrick Hawes’ Quanta Qualia was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, much to their delight.
SIC’s recent All Things Bright and Virtual project with Ralph Allwood MBE involved household names such as Alexander Armstrong, Harry Christophers CBE, Wynne Evans MStJ, Stephen Fry, Katherine Jenkins OBE, Libby Purves OBE, John Rutter CBE and Sir Bryn Terfel, and raised over £12,000 in aid of music charities. In fact, over the past year SIC have raised around £54,000 for charities, and supported over 100 young musicians at an incredibly difficult time for the music community.
The Choir are also in the middle of yet another charitable project for a particularly special audience. Over 1,500 singers have been working once again with Ralph Allwood MBE to record the late Prince Philip’s favourite hymn, Eternal Father, Strong To Save, which will be presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 10 June to mark the date on which her beloved husband would have celebrated his 100th birthday. All profits from donations will go to the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.
The choir have greatly enjoyed performing a wide repertoire of pieces over the last year - from Mahler’s second symphony to Mamma Mia by ABBA - and they are looking forward to branching out even further in upcoming projects, including their debut into the world of opera, on which they will collaborate with Donald Palumbo, Chorus Master of the New York Metropolitan Opera.
However one work in particular remains close to SIC’s singers’ heart... and so they’re doing it all over again!
For the past two months, Musical Director Ben England BEM has once again been leading singers – some returning and some new – through the learning and recording of their parts. On 31st May, exactly one year after their Messiah debut, SIC’s ”sound will go out” once again. The new and improved production will feature newly recorded vocals from the Choir alongside remixed performances from The Self-Isolation Baroque Orchestra, Soprano Carolyn Sampson, Mezzo-Soprano Jennifer Johnston, Tenor Alexander Sprague and Bass Ashley Riches.
Speaking in advance of the Choir’s second performance of Messiah, Mr England said,
“This year we are so much more established, experienced and confident. I am certain that this performance will be a new benchmark, not just for this choir, but for online singing in general.”
SIC would like to invite absolutely everybody to come and celebrate ‘Hallelujah Day’ with them. The Messiah 2 concert will be streamed on 31st May 2021 at 19:00 BST, with live conducting by Mr England:
ENDS
Notes to editors:
All media queries should be directed to the SIC Communications Manager at communications@theselfisolationchoir.com.
The Self-Isolation Choir (SIC) was founded by Mark Strachan and Ben England BEM in March 2020, as a response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The aim was to provide comfort and support to people worldwide who were feeling disconnected from family, friends and society by bringing them together to sing glorious choral works.
Further information about The Self-Isolation Choir’s current, future and previous projects is available at www.theselfisolationchoir.com.
Follow The Self-Isolation Choir on social media: The Self-Isolation Choir on YouTube | @IsolationChoir on Twitter | @SelfIsolationChoir on Facebook | selfisolationchoir on Instagram.