National Youth Choirs of Great Britain alumni will bring a tear to the eye with this American folk song
Over 400 former members of the NYCGB, many of them now professional singers, perform 'Shenandoah' in video
Last updated 17th Jun 2020
Past members of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain from across the world have joined forces in a touching lockdown performance of an American folk tune, released today.
The official audio track is due for release on NYCGB’s digital music label on 7th August 2020.
Over 400 NYCGB alumni from around the world have joined forces to take part in a mass virtual recording of the American folk song Shenandoah. A video recording has today been released with the official audio recording due for release on NYCGB’s music label on 7th August 2020.
This recording project started with an idea by former NYCGB member Ben Weaver, who is based in Germany, as a way to connect with other alumni members. It has grown into an impressive effort with over 400 former choir members voices blending seamlessly into one epic choir.
Members of the virtual choir recorded their individual parts of James Erb’s arrangement of Shenandoah at home. The performance is conducted by alum Will Dawes and signed by Paul Whittaker OBE.
The NYCGB Alumni Choir are made up of graduates from across NYCGB’s 37-year history, and includes doctors, nurses, teachers, conductors, CEOs as well as professional singers from The Swingles, BBC Singers, The Sixteen, Tenebrae, Gabrieli Consort, Monteverdi Choir, Glyndebourne, Scottish Opera and Royal Opera House Choruses who have come together from as far afield as America, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Germany to take part.
Current National Youth Choir member Ben Leigh-Grosart, who has been a member since 2017, has been behind the audio mix. During the mixing of Shenandoah, he graduated from a composition degree at Trinity Laban.
Ben said: “At the time I was asked to take on the audio mix I was told it was a rather large project, but I would never have expected 400+ voices! It has been an absolute pleasure to work on such a uniquely gargantuan project.”
The video recording was put together by alumnus Tom King, who was a member from 1994, and toured the world twice with the choir: "As a musically minded "techy", I couldn't turn down an opportunity to help with Shenandoah - a piece I've sung with life-long friends and in amazing places all around the world; it brings back memories every time I hear it! Dealing with 406 videos - well over 100GB of raw footage - in the editing process was tricky and pretty time consuming, but I think the end result was worth it."
Ben Parry, NYCGB Artistic Director & Principal Conductor said:
“We’ve been blown away by the energy and commitment of the Alumni Champions Committee and former members who have taken part in this truly inspiring project. It’s heart-warming that so many felt motivated and able to take part, during these difficult and unusual circumstances, and is a fantastic example of how people can be united and empowered through singing together.”
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