Aquinas College Schola Boys Choir and The Giovanni Consort from Perth have been selected to feature in a Christmas mini album (EP) by Irish musician Andrea Corr, the vocalist of international band The Corrs.
It took many endeavours for Ms Corr to find an all-male ensemble who could sing together in the same venue. However, she eventually discovered them in Western Australia.
Hugh Lydon, the Schola Choir Director and Director of the Giovanni Consort Choir, spoke about this “great opportunity for the boys and the school”.
“We were deeply honoured to be asked and couldn’t be prouder of the boys for all their hard work and professionalism,” Mr Lydon said.
Year 6 student and Aquinas College Schola performer Dashiell Van Ingen said he was “nervous but very excited” because it was his first professional recording.
The rest of the choir – consisting of other Year 6 students Aidan Griffiths, Luka Patak, Dominic Lomen, and Issac Lim, as well as two Year 7 students Xavier Bianchini and Dylan Atkins-Walters, and Year 5 student William Atkins-Walters – also echoed Daniel’s sentiments.
Ms Corr visited Dublin’s Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross last Christmas and sang a selection of her personal Christmas favourites.
The experience was incredibly moving and inspired her to record the songs this year.
In her EP titled Andrea Corr Christmas Songs, Ms Corr recorded four songs, one of which is an original she wrote called Begin Again, sang with a touch of The Corrs and backed by Perth’s own Aquinas College Schola Boys Choir.
“Next year all our troubles will be miles away”, she sings in Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas before adding “someday soon, we will all be together…until then we will have to muddle through somehow”.
The words of these songs deeply resonate for Ms Corr and the choirs as they have taken on a new meaning with Christmas 2020 approaches amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other featured songs are equally poignant, which are O Holy Night and In the Bleak Midwinter.
“I grew up with these songs. My father played O Holy Night in our church every Christmas Eve when we were kids,” Ms Corr said in an interview.
“We had been planning this record since my visit to the hospice last year – and then the world changed, and the lyrics took on a whole new and special meaning.”
Everyone involved with the EP hopes the songs will provide some comfort and joy during these difficult times.