London-based experimental vocal ensemble Shards enlisted the talents of internationally-acclaimed musicians to record a track under the name Isolation Choir in response to the UK coronavirus lockdown. On the day Shards were meant to play a headline show at the Barbican they released Inside I'll Sing, which was recorded remotely and features Douglas Dare, Joe Newman (Alt-J), Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev), Anna Meredith, New York-based composer Nico Muhly, Luke Howard, Hatis Noit and more.

Speaking of the collaboration, Shards' Kieran Brunt says: “I reached out to musician friends in the UK and abroad to see if they would lend their voices to an ‘Isolation Choir’, and was overwhelmed by the positivity and enthusiasm that everyone responded with. Like me, many needed a distraction from current events and valued just being given a simple task to do. I recorded a demo of the song and sent out instructions on how to record at home with whatever means were available.”

Director Fiona Jane Burgess paired unused footage from previous projects to create this intimate visual accompaniment. With artists all over the globe forced to stay indoors, she rebuilt the narrative to poignantly complement the mood and emotion of the song.

All proceeds from "Inside I'll Sing" will go to Help Musicians. Donate online: www.helpmusicians.org.uk/shardsisolationchoir