Anthony White from the University of Aberdeen and Harvey Stansfield from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire have collaborated to form a virtual international choir.
Vox Ex Animo (A Voice From the Heart) was launched in early April by two musicians who share a passion for choral music and who wanted to continue to sing during the lockdown period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Anthony White, a second year BMus student at the University of Aberdeen and Harvey Stansfield, a BMus student at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, have collaborated to form an online choir consisting of 24 international singers.
Anthony said: ‘I Co-founded the choir with Harvey in early April because singing and choral music is very important to me. These challenging circumstances with the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown has torn and separated people over oceans and continents, but one thing that unites us all is music! At Vox Ex Animo we have the aims to create music regardless of the difficult circumstances, to support each other in these difficult times, to collaborate with other musicians and composers and to spread happiness through music and singing.’
Head of Music, Dr Phillip Cooke shares Anthony’s beliefs: ‘Despite all the cancellations and chaos, it is amazing to see music-making still taking place, and of such a high standard – we are thrilled that Anthony has formed this choir and is looking to help people through the medium of music. We are proud of all our students who are thriving during this difficult and challenging time.’
Vox Ex Animo have recently appointed a Composer-in-Residence, Cameron Biles-Liddell a composer and pianist studying for a PhD at the University of Manchester. The choir have also recently commissioned a piece of choral music from Cameron which they will be premiered later this year. Anthony, Harvey and the choir are all very excited to work alongside Cameron in the upcoming weeks and months.