04/01/2020 – Virtual Choir with Goucher College

Though we are sad (as I’m sure you are) that we had to cancel our collaboration for March and May, the Goucher Choirs would like to invite you to join us in a project — a virtual choir! To finish out our semester online, we have just started preparing our parts for Craig Johnson’s arrangement of Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” It is a lovely arrangement, and I believe the DCC performed it within the last few years, as we have. After spending about two weeks searching for the right piece for this project, this is a piece with the message that I think really speaks to our experience right now, as well as the resilience and hope we need at this time when we are collectively unsettled.

If you are unfamiliar with a virtual choir, you can find lots of examples on YouTube. In short, you will each learn your part (memorized is ideal, but not required), and once we are all ready, you’ll record yourself singing your part into your computer/phone/tablet’s camera. In order for everything to line up right, you’ll do this using a video of me conducting the piece, as well as using a recording of your part being played, if you’d like.

Along the way, I’ll send some instructions on how to do it. For now, though, I just need to know how many of you are interested in joining us for this project. Our goal would be to have all final videos submitted by the end of April. I am recording several “sectional rehearsal” tracks for my choir in order to learn our parts. I’ll make these available to you so you can practice as well. Even if you’ve sung the piece before, you’ll want to go through the sectionals so we can all get on the same page with how we are going to perform it.

If you are interested, simply click the link below to provide your information. It is important that everyone who want so participates fills out this form so we can be sure to purchase sufficient legal copies of the piece, and to make sure we are balanced. I will also be creating an e-mail list with all of the content needed to be part of this project.

Be well, everyone. Music will help us through this!

Danny