Pandemic-era performances go virtual

In 2020, when it came time to think about presenting the University’s signature Feast of Lights holiday worship concert, the director of the two-hour choral and instrumental event was ready to go big despite the necessity of a virtual approach.

That’s because, in the previous months, Nicholle Andrews, U of R director of choral studies who oversees the Feast of Lights, and her husband, Brad Andrews, director of music admissions and music technology, had conceived and directed dozens of virtual performances. Many of these involved U of R choral and music students and the Phoenix Chamber Choir in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Nicholle is artistic director.

While each online pandemic-era presentation was a mammoth, painstaking exercise with considerable immersion in technology, cooperation, and patience, the results garnered immense viewership and praise from around the world.

“To produce a three-minute virtual choir video with 30 to 40 singers takes about 50 to 60 hours of audio and video editing,” says Brad, and many of their finished productions were close to 60 minutes long. “That doesn’t include the hours singers spend preparing their individual videos.”

From an educational perspective, the mission was to create a way for students to perform and improve their musicianship during an otherwise solitary time. “They also learned how to produce virtual recordings and now have valuable technological skills,” says Nicholle, who credits the students for seizing the experience. “Without their work, we would not have the performances, which are the heart of the videos.”