These children’s choirs met four years ago. Now they are finally singing together

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The future seemed dire for US conductor Luke McEndarfer in March 2020 – COVID-19 had been declared a global pandemic and much of the world was retreating into lockdown. Then, a news article made it even worse.

The story outlined the most dangerous things to do during the pandemic, ranking them from bad to worse. McEndarfer wasn’t surprised by most on the list, like flying and going to a restaurant. But the activity rated most dangerous, in top spot stopped him in his tracks. It was singing.

“That was a devastating blow to choruses around the world, especially with the insight that this was not going to last just a couple of weeks,” says McEndarfer, the Grammy award-winning conductor of the US National Children’s Chorus, one of the largest youth choruses in the world. “Imagine being a child engaging with so much joy on a daily basis, and then having that ripped away from you.”

The National Children’s Chorus and Australian Children’s Choir met online about four years ago. Now, they’re performing together for the first time.

But instead of dwelling on this new – and far quieter – reality, he decided to make the most of a grim situation by connecting his choir members with another chorus about 12,000 kilometres away over Zoom.

So, in 2021, the National Children’s Chorus (NCC) and Australian Children’s Choir (ACC) met online for an hour-and-a-half to showcase their digital musical projects, and to share how the pandemic was impacting them.

“There were several students who cried and were very vulnerable and open about their emotions,” McEndarfer says. “Other students would then offer support and comfort. It was really beautiful to see – students who were a world away from each other connecting. They probably would have never met if it weren’t for this unique situation. It was really healing.”

Now, about four years later, the two choirs will meet in person for the first time. Some 300 members of the NCC and ACC, ranging between the ages of 10 and 18, will share the stage at Melbourne’s The Edge on July 16, culminating in a massive joint performance.

For Vincent Anderson, who was one of the NCC choristers on the Zoom call, the upcoming performance feels like a full circle moment.

“A common theme I heard during that call was how choirs are like a second home for so many. When you have two groups that are both such foundations for people come together, it’s an even bigger blessing,” says Anderson, who recently graduated but still performs with the NCC as an alumnus.

Many of the students taking part in the 2021 call were at a formative age in which social connection was critical, yet lockdowns made face-to-face interaction impossible. As crushing as this was, the cross-choir call made them feel less alone.

“There was so much confusion, pain and suffering around us, so it was wonderful to be able to realise we’re all human, we’re all the same,” Anderson says. “It felt like we were in a battle, but had allies somewhere. We weren’t alone.”

Aidan Finlay, a member of the ACC who was 15 at the time of the joint call, says he was beginning to feel disengaged because everything happened on a screen. “You kind of start caring a bit less.”

However, connecting with like-minded choristers on the other side of the world fuelled his interest again. “The last time we had performed with any other choir was back in around 2018, so it was great to see how another choir does things, especially during COVID when it was as barren as a desert when it came to choir stuff.”

Connecting with strangers from a different country could have been awkward, but ACC member Kaitlyn Saganty says music was the glue that immediately bonded them.

“Music is not just something we sing, but something we have passion or emotion towards,” says Saganty, who was only 11 at the time of the call. “It helped me understand you can create bonds with song, and those bonds can help you in your daily life, especially during COVID.”

NCC chorister Emma Grossman, who was around the same age as Saganty in 2021, echoes this, adding that she looks forward to seeing these bonds strengthen on stage this week.

“It was so inspiring to see another choir go through the same struggles… It was really nice to relate to other kids,” she says. “I can’t believe that was four years ago, and we’re about to perform with them [the ACC] in a different part of the world. It’s just amazing how music connects people.”

The National Children’s Chorus and Australian Children’s Choir will perform at Fed Square’s The Edge Auditorium on July 16.

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