You are invited to take part in a virtual choir recording of a new piece, The Salisbury Anthem, composed by Morgan and Pochin and using the words based on a poem by Henry d’Avranches, (d 1260) and translated by Dr Francis Young.

This year we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Cathedral and city. Sadly, we can’t meet and celebrate together just now, and we are therefore planning to turn the celebrations virtual and get hundreds of people from across the city to learn and video themselves singing the refrain of the new Salisbury Anthem. We will put all the recordings together to create an 800 strong virtual choir performance of the whole anthem to be webcast at the end of May, and we’d love you to take part!

You need:

• Earbuds or headphones
• Video/audio recording device (phone, tablet, laptop, PC with webcam)
• Optional: additional microphone to plug into device for better sound quality

Choose the best device for sound and video quality

Listen to the mp3 below a few times and learn your part:

“Happy the one who lives to see this done.

  This church completed, finished with such care;

  A shining effort, built for everyone:

  Though built by kings, a place that all may share.”

(If you can read music you can view the refrain  here).

You’ll need to spend some time practising this by singing along to the recording and try to make sure you are always exactly with the click and singers.

When you are confident with your part, it is time to record yourself:

• Find a spot to stand with good light in your least echoey room. (We will add an acoustic on in the studio so a room with carpets and sofas is better than a tiled or concrete floor).
• Set up you filming device so the picture is landscape (sideways).
• Stand at a distance that frames you from about the waist up.
• Try and record a few seconds then watch it back to check you haven’t cropped the top of your head off!
• Put one earbud in and the other tucked away so you can hear the backing track and your own voice.
• Press record then introduce yourself (I’m (name) and I’m from (your choir etc).
• Start the backing track and record your part. It may take several goes to get everything right. That is very normal but keep going!
• Save your recording as a .MP4 or .MOV file and label it: your name/choir/Refrain.

Send us your contact details and upload your file here by Friday 22 May .

Thank you for taking on this challenge. We wish you the very best of luck with your recording and hope you enjoy it!