Virtual Choirs & Orchestras for Lockdown
The first virtual choir took place a decade ago in 2010, led by American composer Eric Whitacre. 243 videos featured 185 singers from 12 countries singing his popular piece Lux Arumque. You can watch his TED talk about it here.
This format has come into its own during the coronavirus pandemic, with heaps of virtual choirs and orchestras springing up all over the internet. To take part, all you need is a phone/computer and a pair of headphones. Here are a few virtual UK-based ensembles you can join to help you feel part of the musical community, keep your spirits high and stay creative while isolating at home. Sing/play as if no-one is listening because they won’t be!
Led by Tori Longdon & Jamie Wright, based in London
Choral music, £1+ (pay what you can afford)
A virtual choir performing popular staples of the choral world. With more than 22,000 members on the mailing list and projects with VOCES8, the King’s Singers and John Rutter, the Stay At Home Choir is a virtual choir which allows their singers to learn about the music directly from the composer or ensemble. Now on their 10th project with ‘Baba Yetu’ composer Christopher Tin they have big plans for 2021 and beyond.
🐦📸 @stayathomechoir on Twitter & Instagram
Led by James Sills, based in Wales
Pop music, FREE (single session) or £10/month (members’ club)
Brings together up to 500 people in real time (Tuesdays at 7.30pm & Fridays at 11am) for 45 minutes of simultaneous singing, learning a classic song with some optional harmonies/backing parts. Afterwards there’s a virtual tea break followed by some open floor slots where individuals can say hello and share a song, a poem or a story.
🐦 @TheSofaSingers on Twitter
Part of the Self-Isolation Choir family
Classical music, £40 per course (£10 students)
The Self-Isolation Orchestra brings instrumentalists together from around the world – of all abilities – to form an online community to play and record from home. You’ll be taught your part by pre-recorded video. Once you have learned the part, you’re invited to record and submit it to be combined with all the other parts before an online audio performance of the entire orchestra.
Led by The Nest Collective, based in London
Folk music, £96 per term (£48 students/unemployed/low income)
The Nest Collective is all about rekindling connections with nature, tradition and community through music. They usually run Campfire Club - music around the campfire in beautiful green spaces within cities. During the isolation period they’re instead running weekly folk singing sessions on Zoom (Mondays at 7pm).
🐦📸 @NestFolk on Twitter & Instagram
Founded by Mark Strachan and Ben England BEM, based in Bristol
Classical & contemporary music, £34+ per course
Since April 2020, Choir of the Earth (previously known as the Self-Isolation Choir) has been actively learning, recording and performing choral classics from singers’ own homes. You sign up for a course and attend virtual rehearsals each week, building up to a concert of the full work that is broadcast on YouTube. Almost 11,500 singers around the world have joined!
🐦 @ChoirOfTheEarth on Twitter
Led by West End Musical Directors of Les Miserables, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera & Hamilton
£25 per month
The UK’s most popular musical theatre choir. Over 1,000 singers meet weekly to sing, perform and socialise. Learn hits from the West End and Broadway. No need to audition or read sheet music. There are a minimum of 2x live streamed and 4x live in-person rehearsals each week so you can select which week night works best for you. You will learn eight songs per term.
🐦 @WestEndMChoir on Twitter
Led by music therapist Oli
Pop music, FREE (donations welcome)
The UK’s largest independent music therapy charity has an online choir with weekly sing-alongs on Tuesdays at 4pm. There is no need to read music. This choir is totally free and the lyrics are available on their Nordoff Robbins website in advance of each session. Past sessions have included Mr. Blue Sky, Why Does It Always Rain On Me? and I Can See Clearly Now.
There are several virtual ensembles that are no longer running and the videos have since been published, such as Gareth Malone’s Great British Home Chorus, Jess Gillam’s Virtual Scratch Orchestra, Jessie Grime’s Play-Along Symphony and the NHS Chorus-19.
Hannah Fiddy is a creative entrepreneur, developing new audiences for classical music. She has created and promoted numerous concerts outside of traditional spaces, including warehouses, pubs, clubs, museums, hospitals, prisons and even in Primark. Hannah is also an interviewer, writer and guest lecturer, and runs the Avon Chamber Choir in Bristol. In a past life she founded London Flashmob, producing quirky events from wedding proposals to cultural pranks for up to 1,000 people.
Follow Hannah on Twitter @Hannah_Fiddy.