2 minute read

Online Easter Service

Featuring the SPCC Choir

During Term 1 this year, I had the privilege of being part of the production team for a choir music video that was recorded and filmed for the College Easter Service at the end of term. When the music video was first proposed, COVID restrictions had just eased, and after almost a year of very limited choir rehearsals, the students were excited and enthusiastic to not only be singing together again, but to have such a significant mission to work towards.

Advertisement

The project involved our three College Choirs (Junior, Middle and Senior) and included approximately 140 students, which is just over 10% of the total student body. Students had about 4 weeks to learn and memorise the song, and it was wonderful to witness the excitement and buzz at each of the weekly choir rehearsals. I had many reports from parents saying that their child had not stopped singing the song at home, and that they just couldn’t wait to get back to choir rehearsal the following week to sing it again!

As we used an original song that had not been previously recorded, we needed to commission the production of a backing track. This required around 30 hours of recording, editing and mastering behind the scenes, and I am extremely grateful to Phil Tweed and Luke O’Dea for their time, creativity and expertise in bringing this about.

Once the backing track and rehearsal process was complete, the next step was the audio recording, which involved a full day with audio engineer, Luke O’Dea, who recorded the students in groups of 8 at a time. Once again, the student buzz was exciting to experience. One junior chorister was thrilled to be able to record like a “true professional”, and many students throughout the day expressed their gratitude at being able to be involved.

The filming session at the SPCC Church Hall was the final step for the students involved, conducted under the visual direction of Caleb Smith. This was the first time that all 140 students had come together, and watching them hear their recording for the first time was truly delightful. There were smiles, excited nudges and giggles, faces of wide-eyed wonder, and even some tears (yes – guilty as charged)!

It took around 2 hours to complete the filming session, with almost 20 takes of the song (or sections of the song) to ensure we had the right shots, angles, faces, groups and lighting. This required a great deal of focus, self-control and positivity, and I was so proud of how the students rose to the occasion.

The last step in the production process – the least seen, but perhaps most important – was the finalisation of the audio and video. Countless hours of editing, mastering, cutting, mixing, tweaking, listening and watching from Luke (audio) and Caleb (video) in their areas of specialty, helped our students come alive.

The final product is 4 minutes long: 4 minutes of music, vision, joy and enrichment, but it represents so much more. It represents a community of students, staff and creative professionals, committed to giving hours of their time and talent. It also represents a large group of people coming together to achieve a significant end goal, which is something that always builds community – drawing people closer together, and closer to the God we serve.

Lindy Connett - Director of Music (K-12)

This article is from: