Grantham church choir records 16 virtual anthems during lockdown

St Wulfram’s Choir has produced 16 virtual anthems during lockdown and is looking forward to featuring in a big service this Sunday (June 14) on YouTube.

The Grantham choir will be featured in the Royal School of Church Music’s Big Music Sunday online service.

It is three months since the choir last met and sang together, but the singers have been active with online activities.

Master of the music Tim Williams said: “It was such a culture shock to all of us not being able to meet, but very quickly the choir showed determination to turn this situation around and continue making music together.

“We have had to learn the art of virtual singing, which involves every singer individually recording their vocal part. Sometimes over 50 members of the choir contribute. I then use audio editing software to stitch the recordings together and to synchronise the results.

“Our choir anthems have been heard around the world – and it feels great still to be singing together.”

For the live YouTube broadcast at 6pm on Sunday, the choir has produced a video virtual choir project, and will lead the singing of the final hymn ‘How shall I sing thy majesty’ with an international online congregation.

Dr Williams added: “It has been incredible to see the team spirit, resilience and dedication of the choristers of all ages during such a difficult time. I am proud of all they are continuing to achieve against all odds.”

An archive of the choir’s virtual recordings can be found at www.stwulframs.org.uk/choir

In addition to producing recordings, the choir members have also held real-time online rehearsals, shared podcasts of their lockdown news with each other, performed family online music recitals for each other, and started a choir visual arts appreciation group. The community of the choir has remained vibrant, and members are hopeful that the choir will be stronger when it is safe for choral singing to resume at St Wulfram’s.

Choristers are enjoying the virtual activities, but missing their friends:

• “I feel so happy to know that we are still singing, that we are still doing it. It makes me feel like we are a proper choir and that we are not giving up.”
• “Since lockdown it has been strange but having virtual choir every week has been good so that me and my friends can still see each other and sing together. We’ve done lots of recordings and learnt lots of new things. I can’t wait to see my friends again for real soon.”
• A choir parent added: “It has been brilliant for my daughter to carry on singing with St Wulfram’s Church Choir through all of this. She has lit up each time she has connected online with her choir friends for virtual sessions and it is wonderful to see those relationships with music and each other continue to be nurtured in this phenomenal way.”

Dt Williams is keen to receive enquiries about membership of the choir from September. The choir accepts boys and girls from the beginning of Year 3 upwards.

Dr Williams said: "It is a fabulous musical education with unparalleled opportunities to sing in amazing places, build skills in teamwork with the other choristers, be part of a supportive community and have lots of fun. We accept choristers from any school, and without an audition process – we are always looking for members who will really enjoy every aspect of being a chorister. Even if our activities are still all virtual at this stage, we will be delighted to recruit choristers. Please write directly to me with any questions on choir@stwulframs.com."

Fr Stuart Cradduck, rector of St Wulfram’s, said: “Singing together is such a huge part of our identity at St Wulfram’s and I’m constantly delighted and encouraged by the tenacity and talent within out choir. Live music sadly may be one of the last things which will return to normal life, and I’m just so happy that through imaginative ways we are embracing what we can do during these difficult times.”