Students put on killer Queen performance during lockdown

First and second years at University Centre Shrewsbury performed the classic Somebody to Love in one of their isolation sessions and uploaded it to YouTube.

The video has received positive feedback online, including from the university's chancellor Sir Gyles Brandreth, who said: "The way the whole @uochester team has responded to this pandemic has been so impressive: heartening, inspiring, moving. I’m a mightily proud Chancellor.”

Students participated in the video from their homes in England, Wales, Scotland and the United States. Ewan Ceney, Musical Theatre technician, created the instrumental track and sent it to the students to record their vocals. Once the students returned their completed solos, Ceney mixed the audio and edited the video.

The Isolation Sessions are part of extracurricular activities intended to broaden the students’ experience that the Musical Theatre department has moved online during lockdown. Other enhancement activities include tap dance instruction, an audition tape tutorial and a Masterclass on acting through song with West End performer, Keith Higham.

Jennifer Mitchell, head of the musical theatre programme, said: "“From the Paris Opera Ballet home video to the Gary Barlow Crooner Sessions, we were inspired by the incredible quality coming from the performing arts sector during this pandemic. Musical Theatre is a collaborative endeavour. We have had to innovate during lockdown to create that teamwork online.

The video features vocals by Yasmin Bourke, Aidia Brennan, Orla Jones, Katy Rees, Amy Scade and Lucy Sirdefield, with piano by Dr Jon Clarke and guitar by Ewan Ceney.