A “virtual choir” has brought students across Newfoundland and Labrador, along with professional musicians and politicians, together in song during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District shared the video on social media and YouTube today, featuring videos from more than 350 students, teachers and staff singing “O Canada.”
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Famous faces including Mark Critch, Broadway actress Petrina Bromley, Paralympic medallist Liam Hickey, broadcaster Tom Power and musician Alan Doyle also sent in videos recorded from home.
Premier Dwight Ball and federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan shared clips, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes an appearance, closing out the video with a bilingual message to stay safe.
Robert Colbourne, choral director at Holy Heart of Mary High School in St. John’s, says the idea snowballed after he approached the school district.
Colbourne says it was a lesson for students and teachers across the province about the possibilities of collaborative, creative work across a wide geography while staying physically apart.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2020.