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Singing to Save Our World - St Joseph’s Church Choir

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3 min read

Singing to Save Our World - St Joseph’s Church Choir

3 min read

12/10/20

Singing to Save Our World - St Joseph’s Church Choir

When a Boyle Choir had to take a necessary break from their usual choir rehearsals and mass services in March this year, they embarked on a new project, following recommended guidelines, as restrictions began to lift in May.

With thanks to funding from the Community Strand of the Creative Ireland Programme managed by Roscommon County Council, the choir commissioned composer and choir member, Frankie Simon to write a song he had been contemplating since September 2019. How could it be fake news?

The music and words refer to many of the issues being raised globally by climate and environmental experts and, notably, by 17 year old Greta Thunberg. In September 2019, her speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit brought headline news to the world and became known as ‘The Greta – Trump Showdown”.

25 members of St Joseph’s Church Choir took up the challenge – half of the choir’s usual members – to learn the music virtually followed by a number of rehearsals in small groups, wearing masks, in their large parish church in Boyle Co Roscommon. Recording took place during August, in groups of three, at Paul Gurney’s Recording Studio in Newtownforbes, Co Longford. Musicians, and a rap artist, were recorded individually and the song completed under the masterful eyes and ears of composer Frankie Simon, together with Paul Gurney.

An animated video was commissioned to complete the project, from Peter Kilmartin of Spicy Dog Media in Roscommon.

Save Our World

Open Video

This project is funded by Roscommon County Council Creative Ireland Programme 2020. 

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