What the Choir had to say!
Participating in an online, cross-Canada recording project is not for the faint-of-heart! Thirty brave RES members took the plunge, and set up their homes as mini recording studios.
I signed up for the Thread Project because I’d greatly missed singing with a choir these past months and because I wanted something to show for how I spent my Covid year. Most of all, I was enticed by the standing-proud opportunity to join with other voices who had been silent for too long across la distance vaste of our beleaguered land. I’m not part of the Digitally Savvy Generation, so mastering the downloading and uploading, wavs and mp3s, drives and distortion and decibels, syncs and links was not easy. Despite my noble aspirations, I almost gave up. With the help of my digitally savvy son, however, and the patient support of Nathalie in Quebec, I was able to press “Send” just ahead of the deadline. What was frustrating at times – I now remember as fun. I’m grateful to the people in the East and the West who pursued the idea and gave us this thread to carry with us and between us out of a dark year. – Andrea Hamilton
I was privileged to be able to take part in the virtual recording of The Thread last month. It was an inspiring, positive, somewhat challenging experience, knowing that many singers across Canada were doing the same thing for the same reason! Thank you for the invite! – Carolyn Eggert
As you can see from our photo, we set up a makeshift studio with curtains to make a neutral wall. It was a fun experience and I hope the end result will be a good one! – Mark and Colleen Vogel
I became hooked on the project at the end of the orientation Zoom session when we were asked to unmute our microphones and sing together, despite the signal delays and whatever Zoom would do to decide what audio to let through. The feeling was strangely wonderful even though it sounded pretty awful. I enjoyed every moment of the experience other than when only two minutes of my best take got saved (ran out of memory). I’m really looking forward to the premiere of this marvelous composition. – Mark Freeman
In a world of complete uncertainty and turmoil, it was a pleasure to focus oneself on a’ beautiful musical thread to connect us all together’. Canada needs more such merging works of art. Thank you so much to the composers and choir directors for giving us this brief reprieve from the realities of 2021 life! Thank you for allowing me to drown in the beauty of your music for awhile, forgetting the realities around me, and reminding me of what is important in life! – Mary Stephens