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Intensive Care Staff Aiming for Christmas Number One
A 100 strong Zoom choir made up of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff is releasing a re-make of the classic Police track ‘Every Breath You Take’ in a bid to secure the Christmas number one spot and raise funds to support NHS staff recover from the trials of 2020.
Known as the ICU Liberty Singers, the choir began life as an attempt to bring some fun and respite to ICU workers after the toughest year in NHS history. The choir members include nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who have been working on the frontline of healthcare, looking after very sick patients.
As more data emerges, it is now clear that around 1 in ten people who catch Covid-19 end up needing hospital treatment, with around one third ending up in ICU. This is why limiting the spread really matters – if 1000 people catch it, 100 will end up in hospital, and over 30 will end up in intensive care.
While the country has had varying degrees of lockdown to contend with – the relentless pace of caring for the most seriously affected has not changed hugely for ICU staff and now they face going in to winter – traditionally hugely challenging in a normal year – with a second wave hitting hard.
Julie Harper, Advanced Critical Care Practitioner is one of 14 Nottingham University Hospitals Staff who belong to the Choir.
She said: “Music has always been a big part of my life, spending a lot of my spare time involved in Amateur Musical Theatre keeping my mental wellbeing healthy. So of course during Covid-19 all of this stopped at a time when I really needed it most. When I saw Liberty Singer’s Choir Mistress Kari Olsen-Porthouse’s pledge on Twitter I jumped at the chance to sing. The sessions have been so uplifting, seeing all the energy on the screen from everyone, most of whom I had never met but had shared the experiences.”
“After the sessions I felt relaxed and happy and was reminded of why I love singing so much. The idea of recording Every Breath You Take was so that we could all play it at the same time on Christmas day wherever we were, whether that be with our family, friends or colleagues, and feel a sense of support and togetherness.”
“Since then a whirlwind hit and Sony gave us permission to record and release the song. Now here we are racing for the coveted number one Christmas spot. The experience has been great and to be able to do something I enjoy, and help raise money for Critical Care Staff affected by Covid-19 can only be a good thing.”
The Choir had two group rehearsal and then used videos of Choir Director Kari Olsen Porthouse conducting each part so they could practise in private, between rehearsals – and sometimes even during their breaks on shift!
The track comprises 223 individual vocal recordings sung by the choir members, recorded in their own homes and then blended to create a ‘virtual choir’.
The single is released on Friday December 18th and will be available for download and streaming through the usual channels. You can pre-save the song here: https://orcd.co/lwnv105
Alison Pittard, Dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care commented: “This has been such a fun way to recognise and thank ICU staff. It has been an utterly extraordinary year and I am beyond proud and grateful to all ICU workers for their skill, dedication and professionalism in the face of unprecedented circumstances. Marking this in as public a way as possible seemed only appropriate.”
The group are planning to take on Liam Gallagher, Jess Glynne and Robbie Williams in a bid for the top spot. All money raised will go to create a fund, managed through the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, to provide support for staff that they feel will have a positive impact on their Wellbeing and Mental health after an extraordinarily impactful year.
