Anyone in the South West is invited to take part in a virtual choir to sing a specially composed anthem ‘When All This Is Over’ by Thomas Johnson.

Unexpectedly good

As part of Exeter Northcott’s The Time is Now commissions, composer Thomas Johnson is asking the region’s locked-down community to consider what they are longing to do once lockdown is over and what they might miss which has been unexpectedly good about this time.

Anyone can join in

Thomas will turn people’s responses into a brand new fully-formed song complete with harmonies. He’ll also be creating backing tracks (and sheet music for anyone who’d find it useful), so that anyone can join in by learning the song and sending in a video of themselves singing. Thomas will then mix them together to create a virtual choir singing a digital anthem of our time.

‘This will be a digital performance for now and for posterity, expressing our hopes and fears, as we live, together but apart, through this unsettling stutter in history. ‘
Thomas Johnson

Plans are also being made for the choir to sing together live at the Exeter Northcott Theatre once it re-opens after lockdown.

Creative ways to understand

Kelly Johnson, marketing and development director at Exeter Northcott, told ArtsCulture:

‘It’s so important we come together as a community and find creative ways to try to understand what’s happening in our lives and in our region.

‘This is an invitation to anyone in the South West, no matter what level of singing experience you have, to take part. I can’t wait to see the Northcott back open and full of people from our community singing loud and proud.’

Interested participants should visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk for more information and email thetimeisnow@exeternorthcott.co.uk by 11pm on Tuesday 19 May.