Virtual choir a soulful ray of sunshine

WHEN Georgie and Geoffrey Williams first saw a digitally curated group performance of Close to You, they were inspired.

Singers, songwriters and choir leaders themselves, they missed music and didn’t want to “sit on our hands” during lockdown.

“We just loved the Couch Choir girls online and thought, we could do something like that,” Mr Williams said.

Part of council’s Be Kind – Be Creative campaign, Ballarat is invited to join the couple’s initiative, Virtual Soul Choir, by learning and singing a part of the Williams’ original song, Ray of sunshine, and filming themselves.

Two hundred and fifty people have already signed up to perform the “pertinent” music from home.

“There’s a lot of metaphor in there. ‘What are you going to do about the state of the world? Why not look and see a ray of sunshine in everyone.’

“We’re all connecting in an interesting, beautiful way now. People have said they’re loving the song and this project has been a positive, ray of sunshine for them,” Mr Williams said.

“It’s so exciting just to see these people singing the parts that we wrote at home. Some of them have dressed up, they’re standing in front of the camera, they open their mouth and it wows us. It’s the greatest thing.”

Mr Williams is encouraging a final wave of entries before curation closes at midnight on Sunday, 3 May. Sign up to sing, find more information and submit your video at virtualsoulchoir.com.

Wind & Sky Productions is putting it together.