Royal wedding choir would embrace 'rehearsing four metres apart in a park' to get back together
The conductor of the gospel choir that performed at Harry and Meghan’s wedding today said they cannot wait to reunite - even if it means they end up having to rehearse metres apart in a park.
The Kingdom Choir performed a version of Stand By Me during the Royal couple’s wedding service in May 2018. The performance has been viewed more than 12.5 million times online and helped the 40-person choir secure a record deal with Sony. They usually rehearse twice a week in Clapham Junction but have been unable to get together to perform since the UK went into lockdown in March.
Since the pandemic began, the choir have been “releasing a lot of virtual videos” and took part in the Together at Home concert and Royal Ascot online. Next week they will release their first original single, Real Love.
Conductor Karen Gibson said: “We have been meeting every Wednesday over Zoom and having a time of worship.
“The delay [on Zoom] when it comes to singing and making music has been hard… We are talking about how to get back together. Choirs are about connection aren’t they? If it’s [rehearsing] four metres apart in a park, we will do it.
The closest open space for the choir to rehearse outdoors, if allowed under government guidelines, would be Clapham Common. Ms Gibson added: “Any way that we can get back together, we will. We just want to sing.”
All proceeds from the choir’s new single will go to domestic abuse charity, Refuge.
The charity, along with other domestic abuse services, has reported seeing demand for help soar during lockdown. The charity said it has seen a 66 per cent rise in calls to its helpline since March 23.
Ms Gibson said: “We are releasing it as a means of cheering everybody up and spreading some joy into the world. It is a bewildering time.”
Trailer for the track is here
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