News location:

Canberra Today 14°/19° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

ANU spearheads new virtual choir

Kim Cunio from the ANU

AS part of a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new virtual choir is being formed out of the ANU School of Music.

Head of the School, Assoc Prof Kim Cunio, said the choir would prepare two works in the second half of 2021, starting with Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus for “serious singers” and another piece open to the public.

“Our virtual choir will provide our students and the wider community the chance to make music in this most difficult of times,” he said.

“We have found that performers need to perform, and we know that part of the role of ANU is not just to do the research that is needed to overcome this pandemic but to also to bring us together.”

The first piece by Mozart will be aimed at people with some singing experience, who will record from home, will see up to 50 participants working with the ANU chamber choir, directed by Tobias Cole.

Tobias Cole. Photo Jaden Leong

“‘Ave Verum Corpus’ is… an angelic piece and it’s also not that hard. We can get that to a high standard – even virtually,” Cunio said.

“This choir will produce this piece as an antidote to the anxiety we all feel in daily life right now. We hope it will be uplifting for people.”

The second work, “May Your Passing Not Be In Vain”, will be specially made by the ANU School of Music. It will be suitable for wider participation and is aimed to provide a therapeutic experience.

Speaking by phone to “CityNews” this morning from Sydney, where he is in lockdown, Cunio said it was when New South Wales hit the 500-mark that he realised serious action was required.

Expressing concern for the mental health of his students, he said that he had put together words for a song intoning a simple prayer that pretty well anyone – even people who just sing in the shower – would be able to sing.

“I’m hoping to find some of my students to compose the music…it must be very easy to sing and we want people to be involved,” he said.

“Music has a rare ability to help us process our feelings. We’ll open up this piece up for up to 100 singers to record their parts and our techs will put it together and make us all blend like magic.”

Audio consent forms, scores, backing tracks and imagery of Cole conducting may be accessed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Helen Musa

Helen Musa

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Music

Cunio takes top job at NZ School of Music

Immediate past head of the ANU School of Music, Kim Cunio, is to become head of school at Te Kōki, the NZ School of Music, part of the Victoria University of Wellington, reports HELEN MUSA.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews