Over 100 voices from across Greater Manchester have come together to honour and remember those lives lost on the front line during this global pandemic.
The Choir Project Manchester is a virtual choir is made up of singers from The Choir Project Community Choir & The Royal Northern College of Music and Deloitte staff choirs.
They’ve all come together, with help from guest soloist Kerry Ellis and poet Tony Walsh, to create a cover of Coldplay’s top ten hit ‘Fix You’ in memory of a;; the NHS and frontline workers who have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The massive project brings over 100 people together, all recording their parts individually at home. The track and video was then edited together by Jamie Henry and strings arranged and recorded by Pete Whitfield who’s credits include One Direction, Kylie, Tom Jones and Olly Murs to name a few.
Guest solosit, Kerry Ellis, has fast become recognised as the leading lady of West End musicals from her starring roles in London and on Broadway. She has also achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist signed to Universal Decca with her debut album Anthems. After meeting Queen guitarist Brian May in 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of We Will Rock You and has subsequently played lead roles in West End musicals Les Miserables, Wicked, Oliver and Cats.
Tony Walsh has risen in recent years to become one of the UK’s most widely recognised and most in-demand professional poets. His work came to worldwide attention in May 2017 when broadcast globally from the vigil for victims of the arena bomb outrage in his beloved Manchester.
This iconic performance, together with Tony’s spontaneous closing comment of “choose love, Manchester” was widely credited with helping to define the city’s notably defiant, compassionate and creative response to these terrible events. With subsequent acclaimed performances alongside rock and pop superstars at the One Love fundraising concert and the re-opening of Manchester Arena, Tony – also known as Longfella – found himself catapulted onto rock festival mainstages and clocking up 3 million views on Facebook.
The whole project is the brainchild of Dan McDwyer, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and an established vocal coach, conductor and arranger. He currently holds the position of Musical Director of several other choirs including Bee Vocal – The Manchester Mental Health Choir, Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus and Northenden Community Choir.
Dan explains; “It’s such a strange time for us all, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to think people are risking their lives every day to help us, and devastating to hear about the NHS and Health workers who we have lost to Covid-19. Like many, music is my way of expressing myself and it can be such a powerful tool in spreading love, a universal language to emote our feelings and show how much we care for those who have lost their lives to this horrible virus.
“During a time like this there is something so beautiful about still being able to bring over 100 people together through music. It is amazing to have someone like Kerry Ellis involved, I have always been such a huge fan of hers, being a musical theatre singer her voice is so expressive, emotion just pours out of every line she sings so I knew I wanted to get her involved. Tony’s voice is so recognisable and hearing his words gave me goosebumps, I was so pleased when he told me he wanted to contribute to the track.
“Everyone just wants to help in whatever way they can and a project like this can only happen with the help of a lot of people, from the arrangers to each individual in the choir who has contributed. On behalf of everyone involved, thank you so much to those on the frontline, risking their life every day, and to those who we have lost, this is for you, you will never be forgotten.”
