VIDEO: Kerry Ellis and The Choir Project Manchester Sing 'Fix You'

By: May. 06, 2020
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Over 100 voices from across Greater Manchester have come together to honour and remember those lives lost on the front line during this global pandemic. The virtual choir is made up of singers from The Choir Project Community Choir & The Royal Northern College of Music and Deloitte staff choirs. They were joined by guest soloist Kerry Ellis with a reading from poet Tony Walsh.

Check out the video!

This cover of Coldplay's top ten hit is the brainchild of Manchester musician, Daniel McDwyer. It is a massive project to pull something like this together, there are over 100 people involved and everyone recorded their parts individually at home, the track and video was edited by Jamie Henry and strings arranged and recorded by Pete Whitfield whose credits include One Direction, Kylie, Tom Jones and Olly Murs to name a few.

Dan McDwyer is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and an established vocal coach, conductor and arranger. He currently holds the position of Musical Director of several other choirs including Bee Vocal - The Manchester Mental Health Choir, Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus and Northenden Community Choir. Dan also leads staff choirs for Manchester City Council, Royal Northern College of Music and Deloitte. In response to the aftermath of the attack at Manchester arena in 2017, Dan was asked by Manchester City council to be Musical Director for Manchester Together - With One Voice. Dan helped produce the evening and arranged all music for the event, which was broadcast nationally, bringing together a mass choir of 4000 singers from over 100 choirs.

Kerry Ellis has fast become recognised as the leading lady of West End musicals from her starring roles in London and on Broadway. She has also achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist signed to Universal Decca with her debut album Anthems. After meeting Queen guitarist Brian May in 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of We Will Rock You and has subsequently played lead roles in West End musicals Les Miserables, Wicked, Oliver and Cats. Kerry has also appeared in national tours and concert productions of musicals like Miss Saigon, Chess, The War of the Worlds and Rent. Dan first worked with Kerry on a collaboration with Manchester United Foundation Youth Choir at Old Trafford Stadium where they performed her rendition of Anthem.

Tony Walsh has risen in recent years to become one of the UK's most widely recognised and most in-demand professional poets. His work came to worldwide attention in May 2017 when broadcast globally from the vigil for victims of the arena bomb outrage in his beloved Manchester. This iconic performance, together with Tony's spontaneous closing comment of "choose love, Manchester" was widely credited with helping to define the city's notably defiant, compassionate and creative response to these terrible events. With subsequent acclaimed performances alongside rock and pop superstars at the One Love fundraising concert and the re-opening of Manchester Arena, Tony - also known as Longfella - found himself catapulted onto rock festival mainstages and clocking up 3 million views on Facebook for his next poem, The One Love concert was broadcast and streamed to a global audience of many millions and reached over 15 million people on YouTube afterwards. It was at this concert that Dan first met Tony having both been invited to perform.

Quote from Daniel McDwyer:

'It's such a strange time for us all, it's absolutely heartbreaking to think people are risking their lives every day to help us, and devastating to hear about the NHS and Health workers who we have lost to Covid-19. Like many, music is my way of expressing myself and it can be such a powerful tool in spreading love, a universal language to emote our feelings and show how much we care for those who have lost their lives to this horrible virus.

During a time like this there is something so beautiful about still being able to bring over 100 people together through music. It is amazing to have someone like Kerry Ellis involved, I have always been such a huge fan of hers, being a musical theatre singer her voice is so expressive, emotion just pours out of every line she sings so I knew I wanted to get her involved. Tony's voice is so recognisable and hearing his words gave me goosebumps, I was so pleased when he told me he wanted to contribute to the track. Everyone just wants to help in whatever way they can and a project like this can only happen with the help of a lot of people, from the arrangers to each individual in the choir who has contributed. On behalf of everyone involved, thank you so much to those on the frontline, risking their life every day, and to those who we have lost, this is for you, you will never be forgotten.'

Dan McDwyer - Musical Director & Arranger

Jamie Henry - Producer

Soloist - Kerry Ellis

Poet - Tony Walsh

Violin/Viola - Pete Whitfield

Cello - Nick Trygstad



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