Celebrating Diversity Through Music
The purpose of the recording was to celebrate our ethnic and religious diversity, and to send a message of unity, respect, tolerance and love to a world where walls and discrimination are causing separation,fear and helplessness.
The positive message is a remake of the song “River” off of Grimes’ album Lovesongs, and features over 350 guest vocalists representing 40 different countries. Brought together from an open-to-all invitation on Grimes’ website, the participants joined together for one day in Bern, Switzerland, where they met and socialized, learned and rehearsed the song, and then participated in the recording session, all as the newly christened One River Voices. Grimes, her band, a string quartet, and the public choir were directed by Ní Aodáin, and the day brought untold joy, laughter and a few tears among the new friends. A video of the day was shot and was first publicly screened in Schloss Koniz in Bern. As well a music video for the song has also just been released.
Further encouraging connection through the joy of music, the score, multi-tracks and other tools are available online so that people around the world can do their own version of the song and share with us, and others.
One River – Millions of Voices
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