Virtual choir is in right key for charity
ACHOIR featuring Stockport singers has raised almost £2,500 to support NHS key workers with a digital performance that has been watched thousands of times on YouTube.
Singers from Do Your Thing (DYT) choir, which has over 150 members across Stockport and Ashton-underLyne
as well as a kids choir, recorded individual performances at home of M People’s song “Proud” which were then edited together in unison to create a virtual choir.
The video was uploaded to YouTube last Monday, 30th March and since then has helped raise a total of £2,410 for NHS Charities Together, eclipsing its initial target of £1,000.
DYT founder and choirmaster Liz Taylor, who lives in Stockport, said: “We wanted to thank the community heroes because every day there’s another story of someone who just goes out of their way for people.
“This was just our way of doing that and we’re just blown away completely by how so many people have supported it.”
The video now has more than 3,600 views and counting, and was featured on BBC Breakfast last Wednesday.
In the virtual performance, Liz begins a chorus of singers from the choir who each recorded themselves singing solo at home, including her two daughters Cara, nine, and Laura, four, who offers a sweet “thank you” at the end of the video.
Choir member Linda Mulvey then spent several days editing the more than 60 individual videos together to produce the final clip.
Some members of the choir are themselves NHS workers, including an ICU nurse, whilst others fall into groups marked as especially vulnerable to coronavirus, such as the over 70s or those with underlying health conditions.
Liz, 44, said that being able to perform the song “isolated, but together” helped to lift the choir’s spirits during the coronavirus lockdown which has prevented them from meeting for their usual weekly rehearsals.
“When Boris Johnson announced the social distancing, obviously that was a real shock to choirs up and down the country,” she said.
“They realised that they wouldn’t be able to have their get-togethers in the same way.
“I know that now the “virtual choir” has taken off, but it was obviously quite upsetting for choir members who for a lot of them, it was their weekly outing.
“Although we appreciated that it was going to be a really challenging time in terms of not seeing our friends, we totally support the message and how important it is that by being isolated but together, the NHS can do their really important job.”
Liz founded DYT in Ashton-under-Lyne in 2011 before creating a second group in Stockport as well as forming the DYT Kids Choir for primary school-aged children in September of last year.
Since its formation it has performed for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, at fundraising events for The Christie and Children in Need, as well as at the Manchester Together event in May 2018 marking the anniversary of the MEN Arena terrorist attack.
Liz said: “We’ve seen firsthand the power of music and singing really does just bring people together and give hope.
“That’s another reason why we wanted to do this project and it’s just such a lovely thing to be able to do to hopefully make a difference.”
The choir is formed of members of all ages and backgrounds, and with no audition process to join, is open to all.
Liz added: “What’s so lovely about having this community choir is that we’ve all got just one shared passion and that is to sing.
“But what I realised having set this up nearly 10 years ago is that the choir becomes so much more than just a weekly rehearsal, it becomes family.
“Not only has it now raised a lot of money for the NHS, and I hope it continues to, but it gives our choir members who are vulnerable and understandably feeling anxious at this time something to focus on that isn’t their anxiety and something positive to work towards.”
Choir member Jenni Clark agreed, adding: “Filming ourselves solosinging was certainly new, unchartered territory for us all, the very opposite of our usual community choir singing, but the incredibly worthy cause spurred us on!
“We’re all impacted by this crisis in such dramatically different ways, and yet we’re all united in our resolve to overcome it and to support each other, our key workers and our communities.
“I hope this video raises some money for the incredible NHS, spreads a little joy, uplifts a few spirits, and most importantly expresses our gratitude to everyone who is working so tirelessly and bravely on our behalf we’re doing our bit by doing our thing!”
You can follow DYT choir’s activities on Facebook, Instagram and its website, and contribute to its fundraising efforts on JustGiving.