Haydn: The Creation & Brahms German Requiem Virtual Concerts

Two new videos feature a group of 50 singers and orchestral players, everyone recorded their parts individually, following a backing track and video.

The repertoire includes the fourth movement of Brahms’ German Requiem and the conclusion of Part 1 of Haydn’s The Creation, one of the composer’s best-loved masterpieces, featuring soprano Anna Shill, tenor Jan van der Hooft, and bass Paul Boughen.

Chorus director Nicholas Fairbank edited and combined 50+ tracks to produce the virtual performance. Throughout COVID he has been refining his music and video editing skills.

“I wanted to produce videos worthy of the talents and efforts of our singers and musicians,” says Fairbank. “Collaborating by distance is hard enough on our performers. The better the end product, the more rewarding the experience for our members — and for the audience who, I hope, will be wowed by the quality of our work.”

Fairbank used Adobe Creative Suite software to edit the audio and video.“It was a steep learning curve at first, but I have enjoyed the experience,” he says. “Technology has allowed the choir and orchestra to work on music together in a novel way. Though we all wish we could make music in person, the way we used to, we’ve had a great time creating a different kind of art together.”

This series of videos is the fourth virtual release of the SPO since the pandemic.

Audiences watching the videos are encouraged to make a donation to the SPO. Contributions over $25 will receive a tax receipt.