St. John Gualbert Cathedral recently issued the following announcement.

They come together to sing. They sing in choirs and quartets and trios and duets. They sing for fun, for the pure and simple joy that singing brings to their spirits and to their audiences and communities. 

They sing Gregorian chant and Stephen Sondheim; they sing John Rutter and Eminem. They rehearse in churches and community centers, in classrooms, and in private homes. They are of every age and skill level. Many possess rich, perfectly pitched voices; some can barely carry a tune. Nonetheless, together — tenors and sopranos, altos and basses — they make music that lifts every heart and spirit. The pandemic, of course, has kept them from gathering in their sanctuaries and auditoriums, but it has not stopped the music. Many choirs continue to rehearse via Zoom — of course, the energy of singing in person cannot be replicated remotely (“How odd,” one director mused, “to conduct people I cannot hear.”). 

Incredibly creative and tech-savvy music directors have managed to create virtual concerts: a song is arranged for vocalists and accompaniment; the instrumental track is recorded, then each singer, from home, records his or her vocal part. 

Then the conductor/producer spends hours editing them into a single performance piece. Some of the results are astonishing: A beautiful example is a recording of the hymn “Be Not Afraid” by singers calling themselves Catholic Artists at Home — you can find it on YouTube. Alternatively, check out the NYC Virtual Choir and Orchestra’s YouTube performance of the iconic “How Can I Keep From Singing.” Moreover, the cast of the Broadway musical Beautiful has put together a remote rendition of the Carole King song “You’ve Got a Friend.

 You will find it on YouTube, as well. Their finished pieces are amazing. Singing alone in front of their phones and laptops and tablets, their love of music and commitment to their art still manages to transform them into one voice. Their song still lifts every heart and spirit.

Original source can be found here.