John Rutter launches ChoirGuides, a new choral learning aid

Using the ChoirGuides interactive player, singers can highlight any voice part while following the music on screen. ChoirGuides also enables singers to record their part for virtual choirs, where individual singers record from home and their contributions are mixed together.

Singers can listen to the accompaniment on its own while singing their part, and recording it using a different device, or hear their own part as they sing.

The initial release of fifteen pieces includes some of John Rutter’s best-known shorter anthems and choral songs, together with two favourites by Mozart and Fauré. Each track has been specially recorded by members of the Cambridge Singers, with piano or organ accompaniments provided by Royal Choral Society accompanist Richard Pearce.

After registering for a free ChoirGuides account and purchasing an individual track, singers gain immediate access to the piece and can sing along with each track as many times as they wish. Access to each title is currently £6.50 per single user and choirs can make multiple orders. The audio accompaniment download file for each title, for use when making virtual performances, costs £2.

John Rutter said, ‘These are exceptional times, and choirs are responding to the challenge in new and inventive ways. We hope this new tool will prove especially useful now and also for years to come, as choirs will always be glad of help learning their music.’