“Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky. Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out old shapes of foul disease. Ring in a thousand years of peace.”
Alfred Lord Tennyson
What, in the long run, really matters?
The COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. We learned things about ourselves that we never thought we would have to face. Over the course of the long months of isolation, we were forced to confront the most basic question of what really matters to us about being alive.
In an effort to cast this question in song, Spiritus Novus collaborated on a music video project. Concerts in-person were unsafe and rehearsing in-person was mostly unsafe (save for a few very distanced, masked rehearsals). Instead of caving to the moment, Spiritus decided to grow against the tide of separation by creating a statement of love crossing the distance.
We rehearsed on Zoom to pre-recorded, layered rehearsal tracks, created virtual choirs, and eventually gathered in large rooms to put the finishing touches on the music. We gathered in fields to capture our joy on video, under memorial wind chimes to remember our beloveds gone before, and sang together in solidarity and hope in Boe Memorial Chapel.
Imagery by Jorie Van Nest
Watch here.
Scene 01: “Across the Vast, Eternal Sky” by Ola Gjeilo 0:00-5:00
Scene 02: “Meditations: for Zoom Choir“ by Murphy Severtson 6:25-18:20
Scene 03: “breathless” by Sarah Shapiro 18:48-23:31
Scene 04: “Thank You For Being Here” 23:32-31:18
Scene 05: “Ring Out, Wild Bells” 31:39-end.