Love Sings
180 voices. 15 countries. One song.
In 2017, I composed a song called Love Sings and launched it as part of Liverpool's Light Night programming. I wanted it to become a flagship song for community choirs, expressing the power of music and collective singing.
The turnout for the launch was incredible and represented a beautifully diverse range of people. The reason so many were able to attend was because the event was free. Accessibility is never far from my mind.
The anthem idea sat on the back burner until 2020. As lockdown forced us onto screens, I saw community choirs performing in similar grids but the format felt limited. Prior to lockdown I’d wanted to design global singing projects but cost and logistics felt like a daunting prospect.
Suddenly the idea of creating a global virtual choir project from the safety of my couch felt really doable and I started to think about how I could make that happen.
Against a backdrop of isolation, the project needed to feel as connected as possible, which meant getting the right creative partners on board. It was a dream team. A multi-layered piano accompaniment elevated the emotional trajectory of the song, while the sound and visuals brought 180 participants from 15 countries together into one piece.
Naming it Love Sings From Liverpool honoured its roots. To make participation easy, I asked singers to record from their favourite room using whatever device they owned. We built this project with zero budget and massive goodwill, ultimately raising funds for two local charities. Seeing the final video where the idea was born brought me to tears.
A simple idea, being able to ask for help and a collective generosity of spirit made the Love Sings virtual choir project not only achievable but very special too.
The project received two awards.
Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards 2020 - Impact Award for COVID-19 Individual Response
AIM Independent Music Awards 2021 - Local Hero Award (in association with BBC Music Introducing)