A special online performance of ‘The Bells of Notre Dame’, the opening number from the 1996 Disney animated film ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame‘ premiered earlier today, featuring over 100 performers across the UK. The original track was composed by Alan Menken and the lyrics were written by Stephen Schwartz, remaining a favourite among many Disney fans.
VIDEO: The Bells Of Notre Dame performed by 100 voice remote choir https://t.co/GFwyZgM1DT
— Alan Menken (@AIMenken) March 4, 2021
The cast includes various West End performers such as Matt Bateman from ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ and Luke McCall from ‘Les Miserables’, other performers across the UK and recent performing arts graduates. Full list of the ensemble can be found here. Every performer was provided with backing tracks, sheet music and vocal lines, and they have recorded their own parts from home in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines. Then, each individual recording was put together to create a collaborative performance.
The project was produced by Bookend Productions, founded by the Wicked actress Rebecca Gilliland with an aim to give artists a chance to perform despite theatres in the UK closing due to the pandemic. Rebecca Gilliland talked about the performance, saying: “You just can’t perform this piece without a huge number of voices, which means as many people as possible have been able to be involved and that’s exactly what I set out to achieve. I wanted to offer a platform where people could have something to enjoy and feel good about while our industry is on hold. I’m hugely grateful that Disney has allowed us to record it. Hopefully, it will be the first of many opportunities I can provide for performers who have been affected by the pandemic and have felt disconnected from the art form they love so much.”
The majority of theatres in the UK has remained shut since the first lockdown in March 2020. They are due to open again on the 21st June with the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, but it is heavily reliant on vaccinations going to plan and the fall of infection rates. Actors and actresses across the UK have continued to give performances virtually since last year.
Check out the full performance on YouTube below.
