Gareth Malone Brings Communities Together With ‘The Great British Home Chorus’
Home Malone? – join choirmaster Gareth Malone as he brings communities together digitally through song with ‘The Great British Home Chorus’.
Choirmaster, composer and television presenter Gareth Malone has announced a new initiative to bring communities together digitally through song while they are social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. The Great British Home Chorus aims to give everyone, including both amateur and professional performers, the opportunity to contribute their voices and instruments to an ambitious digital music project, conceived in the light of many closures to communal rehearsal spaces nationwide. Gareth Malone’s mission is to help boost morale across the country and bring the nation together through the power of music, at a time when the general public needs it the most.
Viewers of ITV’s This Morning on Monday (16 March) watched Esther Rantzen, broadcaster and founder of the 24hr helpline The Silver Line, speaking from self-isolation and thinking aloud about ways in which public figures could help those most vulnerable around the country. “I’ve had an idea… we’ve got a great British product called ‘Gareth Malone’ – why doesn’t he create a choir out of all of us…?” she suggested.
Unbeknown to Esther, Gareth had arrived back in London a few hours earlier following a filming trip to Berlin which was cut short. Garth began to consider how he could help the effort back in Britain and was inspired by the videos, accumulating millions of views, from ordinary people under national quarantine in Italy singing operatic anthems.
Gareth explained, “We have an incredibly rich tradition of community music-making in Britain, whether that be amateur choirs, youth orchestras or regional theatre companies. We now find ourselves in unprecedented times, and while we will find that in the coming weeks the lights on concert halls and rehearsal rooms will go dark, this shouldn’t mean we have to stop making music altogether.”
Gareth Malone wants to spread the news of The Great British Home Chorus far and wide to reach and help as many homes and communities across the UK as possible. Over the coming weeks he will coach followers through the process, helping those who may not yet know how to stream music or interact with communities online, and give guidance on how to stay connected and entertained with music when many will feel very lonely and cut off from the outside world. Gareth will bring communities together through song and encourage people to put their hearts into rising above the bewildering confusion to create something positive, uplifting and hopeful.
“Not since the First World War and the Spanish Flu outbreak have we been forced to stop coming together physically in order to share the gift of music with one another,” noted Gareth. “Whether we like it or not, this pandemic will change the way we work, the way we make music and the way we value community – why not make it be a change for the better?”
Stay at home and join choirmaster Gareth Malone as he brings communities together through The Great British Home Chorus – to register your interest click here.
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UK English
Brian Woods
March 18, 2020 at 2:23 pm
Brilliant idea
I am the leader of a small community choir of 30 members here in Jersey Channel Islands in the Parish of St Mary
We along with others have had to suspend our weekly music therapy hour and We are all going to miss this time together
The idea of the great British home choi excites me and I would like to know more
Caroline Lees
March 18, 2020 at 5:42 pm
Something seems to be wrong with the Register page. When you enter your details and press Register, the page just reopens in another tab and there is no confirmation that you’ve registered your interest.
Please can someone look at this……
Sharon Kelly
March 19, 2020 at 12:49 pm
Thanks for letting us know – I’ve forwarded your comment and the Registration page is currently being worked on.
John Bryant
March 18, 2020 at 7:33 pm
We are members of the Gozo Community Choir in Gozo strangely enough. Would we and other members be able to join you. We are in mandatory isolation having returned from the UK and with the threat of a €3000 fine for non compliance we are missing our singing. Our musical director os stranded in New Ypork so we have no singing or aleader to look forward to
Ian Dewis
March 19, 2020 at 10:38 am
What a brilliant idea. I am a member of Braintree Male Voice Choir and St. Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir, based in Bury St. Edmunds – we have had to cancel several forthcoming concerts, so I’m sure some of our members will wish to join in. Best of luck!
Jo Rogers
March 19, 2020 at 1:39 pm
What a good idea-I am a member of a choir whose latest major performance next month has been cancelled, I’m sure some other members could be interested, I will tell them about this!
Donna Bott
March 20, 2020 at 8:02 pm
Such a great idea! Any chance of some Yankee Anglican (Episcopalian) singers joining?
Sue Morris
March 27, 2020 at 5:16 pm
I have you are my sunshine but am difficulty in finding the alto part. Can you help? Sue Morris
Susan Gostling
March 28, 2020 at 12:19 pm
I have registered today from Rushmere St Andrew (Near Ipswich) and look forward to participating. I sing with Rushmere St Andrew Church Choir, and am a member of a community choir, Kesgrave Singers. I also sing with Cantus Firmus a Christian Choir, and Trianon Music Group. I am already missing singing, so very excited about joining this virtual choir to sing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ .
Margaret Grant
March 31, 2020 at 10:58 am
I am so much enjoying this but sadly I don’t think I’ll be able to send in a recording. I’ve been trying to isolate the backing track for You Are My Sunshine on my laptop, as Gareth showed us, but it is still coming out on the recording I’m doing on my phone. Is it just inadequate earpieces or am I doing somethung wrong? (You can tell I’m a novice at this stuff.)