Our Youtube playlist: https://bit.ly/3nz1twM

Whether you like our singing, or you want us to stop (we are amateurs after all), we'd appreciate you donating to a worthy cause!!! The Shakespeare Hospice supports those with a life limiting illness, and those who matter to them, with the care and compassion they need.

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OUR STORY
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In 2002, a group of school friends (all very amateur singers!) went carol singing one night in Stratford-upon-Avon to raise money for the Shakespeare Hospice, in memory of passed loved ones including teacher Ian Haines and a caroller’s uncle, Jon Bladon.

The tradition has continued every year, and over the past 18 years we've raised over £7,000! Some of us have moved away from Stratford but we always return once a year, some even from abroad, to raise money for the Shakespeare Hospice.

We didn't want 2020 to be any different! Whilst we can't trek around, sing carols and shake our collection tins, we can do it virtually.

Our route around Stratford would have typically seen us welcomed by households, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, The Windmill, Garrick, Old Thatch Tavern, and ending at The Dirty Duck, where the whole pub joined in the singing! We'll do our best to virtually replicate our route by getting them to retweet this page!

The most we've raised in one night is £791.42 - we'd be delighted to get anywhere near this in 2020.

Don't forget, if eligible, to Gift Aid

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SONG PLAYLIST
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https://bit.ly/3nz1twM

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA_BQdFu2v0&list=PL4810ggu9KFT3C48N1yeC02hxaQkaFHHu

1. Somewhere in my Memory (from Home Alone)
2. Away in a Manger
3. Once in Royal David's City
4. O Come All Ye Faithful
5. O Little Town of Bethlehem
6. People Look East
7. Hark the Herald

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HOW WE MADE THE VIDEOS

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1. Created a backing track for each song with a metronome/clock;
2. Screen recorded a group Zoom call. We listened to the backing track on headphones, sang and recorded our parts on our phones. This meant we all sang at the same speed;
3. Video editing was done using open source video editor "Kdenlive". A singer on the other side of the world provided a separate video recording and we were able to merge their video with the Zoom recording;
4. Mike Gunn (mikegunnmusic.com) merged all audio recordings, 63 in total, to create 7 songs. Snitterfield church organ is used as the backing instrument, and our voices have the acoustic affect of being in Hamburg Cathedral!

Planning to completion: 3 weeks

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THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING
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Mike Gunn Media Music - https://mikegunnmusic.com/
JJ - video editing consultant!
Mark & Susi - social media
The Old Thatch Tavern, Stratford-upon-Avon - https://www.facebook.com/The-Old-Thatch-Tavern-230526423782707/
The Windmill, Stratford-upon-Avon - https://www.facebook.com/TheWindmillStratfordUponAvon
The carol singing gang (Claire, Nic, Helen, Susi, JJ, Sam, Mike, Tony, Sten & David) and all those from previous years!