Homechoir founder receives illustrious alumni award

BRISTOL, U.K. - May 30, 2022 - PRLog -- The University of Bristol has announced the eminent recipients of its 2022 Alumni Awards, including Ben England BEM. Ben graduated from the University of Bristol in 1998 with a BA (Hons) in Music, specialising in musical analysis, composing and musical direction. He has since taught, performed, directed and conducted a diverse range of groups and individuals across the West of England.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Ben appreciated how important singing communities were to so many and set about establishing Quarantine Choir on YouTube, giving his choristers the opportunity to meet and sing together online instead.

The idea was a hit, attracting thousands of viewers, and quickly also led to Ben being headhunted as the founding conductor of the Self-Isolation Choir, leading its ground-breaking Messiah At Home project, which attracted over 3,500 international singers and hit the headlines around the globe.

In the two years since, Ben's passion for digital music-making and his unparalleled teaching skills have earned him the unofficial but well-deserved title of 'The Internet's Choirmaster'. Quarantine Choir has become Homechoir and Ben's family-run musical community has attracted over 3,000 subscribers, while the Self-Isolation Choir is now known as Choir of the Earth, with over 7,000 global members.

Members of both Choirs often describe themselves as a "choral family" and deeply value the friendly and vibrant social communities that Ben has nurtured as much as the music he teaches them. In a video published by the University to accompany today's announcement (https://youtu.be/tJznaG5LQfY), Ben explains how and why he feels music generates this sense of community:



"Because it's fun! It doesn't matter what style of music it is - it can be Handel, or it could be a silly musical song - if you bring people together and they have fun, a community will arise around that. It's wonderful to see."

Ben's achievements have been recognised by the award of a BEM in The Queen's 2020 Birthday Honours and as a finalist for the 2022 Music and Drama Education 'Inspiration' Award. He is truly honoured to add this Alumni Award to his list of accolades. Speaking about why the award is so important to him, Ben says:

"This award means a huge amount because I think it acknowledges what Bristol has given to me, which is that feeling of, I can do anything really, as long as I've got time and nice people around me. It's a huge honour and I'm so, so grateful."

A full interview with Ben is available at: https://alumni.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2022/05/30/alumni-awar...