The GMIT choir have released their sixth virtual hit with a rendition of one of the all time greats in Queen’s stellar Bohemian Rhapsody.
The arrangement of this iconic Freddie Mercury song is by Mark Brymer with GMIT Choir Director Sean Rowland adding several parts.
Sean Rowland describes this new release, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, as the most challenging project undertaken to date by the GMIT Virtual Choir.
“Given that the song consists of five complex harmony lines and is made up of very distinct sections. It has no chorus but includes an intro, ballad, operatic passage, hard rock and a reflective outro.
“This would have been challenging enough live but to tackle it virtually was on another level, especially when you take into consideration that the GMIT choirs were all formed as positive wellbeing initiatives and thus all staff and students were welcome to join without having to audition or without having any choral/musical experience.”
“Some of the parts when isolated made very little musical sense theoretically and didn’t offer up any form or recognisable pattern or ‘hook’, so breaking it down and taking it little by little was key.
“We had four weekly 90-minute virtual rehearsals on Zoom and everyone had a week to video record their individual section(s) and send them to me with extra footage they felt appropriate for inclusion in the end video”.
The virtual choir is already in rehearsals for a new project, as Anita Mahony, Choir Manager, explains “To mark the end of the 20/21 academic year, GMIT Voices commenced its seventh project – the first with the Connacht-Ulster Alliance. collaboration.
This involves staff from GMIT, Letterkenny IT, and IT Sligo working together on “Rise Up” by Andra Day. Several rehearsals have already taken place with more than 100 participants signed up.”
To view the Bohemian Rhapsody rendition, watch it on GMIT’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/h7NXIv53jyQ.
