An exciting new era for music education and a fond farewell at Choir of the Earth
Choir of the Earth Founder Mark Strachan BEM has today announced that he has stepped down from his founding role, passing the baton to a new, non-profit online choral academy, formed by the current Choir of the Earth team.
Choir of the Earth (COTE) launched as The Self-Isolation Choir in March 2020, turning heads and making headlines around the world with its incredible Messiah at Home project, featuring thousands of voices and some of the greatest baroque musicians working today. COTE has since recorded almost 600 tracks, thousands of hours of rehearsals, and raised tens of thousands of pounds for international charities, earning Founder Mark Strachan and Musical Director Ben England British Empire Medals for their respective work for musicians and choral music.
With his unequivocal enthusiasm for providing unique choral experiences for singers worldwide and his "why not?" attitude, Mark will be missed by all of those at COTE, although a bright and exciting future lies ahead. Mark explains,
Mark Strachan BEM, Founder of Choir of the Earth, addresses HM Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022.
After over four years at the helm, I made the decision to step back from day-to-day duties within the Choir at the beginning of June. It was always my intention to hand over the ownership and assets for the various strands of The Self-Isolation Choir Limited to a non-profit company - including Choir of the Earth, Labrador Events, gamechoir and Radio Choral - and then to step back and allow this wonderful choir to move on to the next stage of its development.
For more than four years, COTE has spent thousands of hours together on YouTube, learning and singing incredible music and forming a warm and lively community. There have been amazing musicians, crazy costumes, and even two engagements. I have formed relationships with thousands of members around the world, who have been so kind to me over these years, and I shall miss them hugely.
When I explained my decision to the Choir of the Earth team about wishing to step back and pursue other challenges, they were hugely supportive. This extraordinary choir is more than the music – it is the passion and the people that make us unique. The Earth Choir Academy team truly has the Choir’s interests at heart and the passion and drive to make sure it is a success, which is why I am delighted with the decision they have made together.
The Choir of the Earth leadership team currently includes Musical Director Ben England BEM, Creative Director Marc Siese and Communications Director Nikki Chilton. All three say they feel truly privileged to be part of the team driving COTE forwards and when Mark told them he wanted to take on new challenges and focus on his family, there was never a question that the three would step in to continue the thrilling journey towards the Choir's bright future.
Buoyed with enthusiasm and innovative ideas, the team have been working hard behind the scenes to form a new, non-profit company, which was officially incorporated on 11 June 2024 as 'Earth Choir Academy'. Ben, Marc and Nikki will be Earth Choir Academy's Executive Directors, taking over the operation of Choir of the Earth from 1 August 2024. COTE's sister brands Gamechoir and Radio Choral will also transfer to the Academy, along with many of the events currently organised by Labrador Events, which will be run under the new title of ‘Choir of the Earth Events’.
Earth Choir Academy has been founded with a strong educational ethos, building on the world-leading work of COTE which has established itself as an outstanding provider of online choral teaching over the last four years.
The future of online singing is bright indeed and the ECA team is passionate in their belief that the best is yet to come for this new art form. COTE singers don’t just learn to sing the notes on the page – they explore the background and the context of the music, the music theory to help them appreciate what they’re singing, vocal skills, sight-reading skills, IT skills, social skills and much more. Learning itself is a key skill for life and there is no age at which learning something new is not a delight.
Earth Choir Academy logo
The Earth Choir Academy team have a wealth of experience gained through illustrious careers in their respective fields:
Ben England is a multi-award-winning musical director and advanced skills teacher, who was the founding conductor of COTE in 2020. He is widely recognised as a world-leader in digital music education and is much in demand to lead singing all over the world, both in person and online.
Marc Siese has been COTE's Creative Director since its inception in March 2020. Before that, his experience came from the mad world of advertising and he hasn't looked back since launching his own agency, Capella.
Nikki Chilton has been COTE's Director of Communications since 2021. She joins the Academy team full-time, having stepped down from her previous role as Deputy Head of Public Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland, with more than 20 years’ experience in communications, policy development and programme management.
The team are also thrilled to welcome Dr Ana England as Company Secretary, Finance Officer and events accompanist. A General Medical Practitioner for 15 years, she is also an experienced business manager, charity trustee, music leader and concert pianist.
The team are delighted that Mark Strachan BEM will continue to be involved with the Choir. To celebrate Mark's time with the Choir and thank him for his commitment and dedication since founding The Self-Isolation Choir in 2020, the Choir is hosting the following fundraising activities in his honour:
Two comprehensive, high-quality digital collections of every recording the Choir has ever made are now on sale. These are, The Self-Isolation Choir: The Complete Collection (which includes the performances of the Self-Isolation Orchestra) and Choir of the Earth: The Complete Collection.
On 25 July, Ben and Mark will host a special Over To Mark livestream from Ben’s studio. Ben will invite Mark to reflect on his time as Founder and play his favourite pieces as performed by the Choir. As a thank you for his personal generosity over the last 4 years, donations are invited towards a special farewell fund that will go to Mark and his family directly.
The brand new, non-profit Earth Choir Academy will have education at its heart, bringing the joy of music-making to the world and most importantly making it accessible to everyone with an internet connection.
You can be part of this exciting new future by buying the Complete Collections, donating to Mark, or of course by signing up to Choir of the Earth. Our July Summer School begins on Monday 8 July and we have just launched our Quanta Qualia 3 project, which is open to non-members too. We would love you to be part of it all - find out more at our website.
Notes to editors:
All media queries and requests for interviews should be emailed to Director of Communications, Nikki Chilton.
About Choir of the Earth:
Choir of the Earth is a global online choir dedicated to excellence in choral teaching and the power of singing in bringing people together. It was founded in March 2020 by Mark Strachan BEM from Sherborne, Dorset, alongside Musical Director Ben England BEM from Bristol. The Choir has since engaged thousands of singers, who have taken part in more than 80 courses and recorded almost 600 tracks from their homes around the world.About Earth Choir Academy:
Earth Choir Academy was incorporated on 11 June 2024 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee, Company Number 15771094, by Ben England BEM, Marc Siese and Nikki Chilton, who will serve as Executive Directors of the organisation. Earth Choir Academy (ECA) will operate Choir of the Earth from 1 August 2024, as well as Gamechoir, Radio Choral and Choir of the Earth Events. The Academy aims to make choral music education as accessible as possible and bring the joy and benefits of music-making to people worldwide.Follow Choir of the Earth on social media: