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Description:

The historical Chapelle du Grand Séminaire de Montréal presents the acoustical canvas for a choral recording adapted to the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the baton of Andrew Grey, leading Montreal choir Voces Boreales performed Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles for mixed chorus (2005), a musical pilgrimage inspired by the millennial Camino de Santiago de Compostela. In accordance with public health guidelines the 18 singers were singing physically distanced, unusually stretched out, and thus COVID prevention restrictions hindered the chorus’ proverbial blended sound to bloom in the chapel.

A multitrack recording was realized capturing the performance and reestablishing the choir’s characteristic, over-arching, fully blended choral sound with dedicated recording and postproduction techniques. 32 microphones were placed strategically, 18 spot microphones, one for each singer, 8 highly positioned ambient microphones in varying distances, and 6 height microphones will capture the immersive sound above the choir. In close musical collaboration between the conductor and the producer (PI) a professional recording was made. Recording collaborators included an ACTOR PhD student researcher, and graduate students in Sound Recording assisting and visually documenting the process. In postproduction the recording was edited and mixed with innovative techniques such as Dolby Atmos technology to rescue the blended acoustic components and to integrate the choral sound. Expert aural analysis and comparative evaluations followed in Detmold and Montreal and related choral blending research studies, as well as 3D-audio presentations, a CD release and various academic papers resulted.