These studies were created at the end of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink our approach to choral studies. The world saw a proliferation of “virtual choir” videos, created by singers filming themselves individually and stitching the videos together later. I wanted to create some pieces that could be sung remotely, but still live over our classroom video-chat, taking into account the lag between individuals. These songs do not require exact timing and as such, latency in the video chat is acceptable while still creating a beautiful end product. The audio technology still does not allow us to hear each other over the video chat, so singers are required to record their own audio while performing, which is then mixed in with the live video. 

The first two of these studies, “Traditional Medley” and “here at home”, were premiered on Thursday May 21st, 2020 by the Saint Paul Academy Middle School Choirs under the direction of the composer, Tim Kraack.

Performances of these works are welcome, but please notify the composer through his website and purchase enough “Performance Licenses” (available in the store) to cover every member of your choir.