An Introduction To Caledonia From VOCES8 Tenor and Arranger Blake Morgan

VOCES8 Tenor Blake Morgan explains the background behind Caledonia and introduces his arrangement of Dougie MacLean's iconic ballad.
This arrangement will form the centrepiece of VOCES8's upcoming project with the Stay At Home Choir, a global community of more than 17 000 singers and music lovers from around the world.
It's still possible to join in with this project, where we'll be learning, rehearsing and eventually recording the piece alongside VOCES8 for a Premiere Event in the Autumn.
Find out more and sign up at www.stayathomechoir.com
Find out more about Live From London at www.voces8.foundation/livefromlondon
To support the work of the Stay At Home Choir click here - bit.ly/2CNlihx

[@dingoproductions]

Hey Blake, I'm a native Ohioan living in Germany, with a daughter studying in Australia, so this homesickness stuff is kind of perfect for my situation, too! Thanks for your thoughtful introduction.

[@corlisscrabtree3647]

Thank you 🙏

[@kwanghwirhee6383]

Hello! I'm a Korean living in Japan. Yes, I admit my homesickness for home in Seoul, Korean food, and my family. This song, Caledonia means so much and I'm looking forward to singing with you! Thank you for your kind introduction!

[@laurabissell7477]

Hi Blake, I, too, am from the USA-- from a small town south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Thank you for this wonderful introduction to Caledonia. I love that you explain that this longing for home is like a feeling or a calling to come back to something familiar, and that how in this time of "staying at home" we are still longing for time to be together again with our families who live far away from us, and for those of us who are missing their home choirs. I've been participating in the Stay at Home Choir since their second project and am very excited to continue with this project singing Caledonia!! Thank you for arranging this beautiful piece!!

[@valeriebodington2619]

Hello from a Scottish lass in Athens, Greece. Looking forward to singing this

[@janetjacobson4560]

I am so missing my choir “home” and looking forward to singing with such a talented and accomplished group. Even in the best of times there are few such opportunities where I live in rural North Dakota, USA on the 49th parallel.

[@mmpsmp0205]

I'm a Yankee, originally from Ohio, now living outside D.C. and so excited to be a part of this adventure. Thank you!

[@AnjaHuebel1]

Yes, I attended the first Live from London concert and it was absolutely wonderful. Medicine for the soul!

[@JacquiJimenez]

Missing home. This hit my heart. I do miss home. Im now living with my little family in Grand Rapids Michigan and joining virtual choirs like these help me cope with sadness sometimes. Music is healing. Music brings back home to me. Thank you for arranging! Excited to learn this. ❤❤❤

[@rosiedowns6461]

I am so looking forward to singing this beautiful song. I am a Soprano originally from Kent, UK. I relate to the words, as I was 26 when I left England, have lived in Australia for 8 years, and now Denver US for almost 20. I never want to be a stranger to Kent or England.

[@StacieEirich]

Thank you so much for that introduction, Blake! What a beautiful sentiment from the text that home is a feeling, and a calling - rather than merely a place. And I love how you spoke of smoky tone colors and brass textures in the voice. I can't wait to sing Caledonia! :-)

[@deborahmather2204]

Loving the Live from London concerts!

[@rslaterhrm]

Deborah Mather Me too!

[@lesleypaterson5295]

Great choice of place to live!!! ☺️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@aprilburgess-prenzlow2352]

Hi Blake, I love your hybrid accent! ^_^ I'm a Yankee (from Oklahoma) who is joining the SAHC for the first time doing this piece and I'm so excited!

[@juliasmucker]

It's sort of an Elizabeth McGovern accent, come to think of it. I like it too.

[@corriedarker3980]

Live From London is by far the highest quality digital concert performances you could ever wish to experience. They have blown my mind so far - Get your tickets now!!

[@christinedowdell6710]

Thoroughly enjoyed the first two concerts of Live from London. Thank you from Ontario,

[@agathavandoesburg7297]

Absolutely fantastic!! Love the arrangement! ❤❤🎶🎶🎶🎵🎵❤🤑

[@annemartine]

Hi Blake, we've all missed this year's live Singing Brussels with all of you so much, so now I am grateful to be able to join in with this amazing Caledonia project. I think in these demanding times we can all relate to missing home, this spot in each other's heart. Thank you so much for your exquisite arrangement! I'm very excited to be singing my tenor voice! See you soon!

[@alejandragoicoechea393]

I'm crying while listening to you. I'm from Argentina, and looking forward to sing this beautiful piece with SAHC. I've been in London two years ago and I couldn't go to Scotland, which was my daughter's dream...I know I have to go, I know that for a strange reason...I need to go. Perhaps, some unknown ancestors...but this music sounds to me as being home. Thanks for this beautiful introduction!

[@judybarker2955]

Loving Live From London series - absolutely sublime music and performances. Thank you Voces8 for hosting it. I'm also looking forward to Caledonia!

[@CorporateQueen]

UK in Australia. Great to be joining you all.

[@incognitoedc]

Hi Blake! Shout out from Santa Rosa, California, about an hour North of San Francisco in the wine country. Chantecleer very popular here. Looking forward to singing with you.

[@ellenmoeller]

Hi Blake! I'm in Boulder, CO. Very excited to join you all on this gorgeous piece.

[@sandyjohnson9114]

Hello from CT. I have followed Chanticleer for years. I have loved Caledonia since hearing McClean's version.

[@marydavidson8931]

Hello from the River City of Cincinnati, OH! So looking forward to this opportunity - I was lucky enough to hear VOCES8 sing this live in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, BC (before COVID) and I was spellbound! ! I hope to learn how to open my vocal cavities and sound a bit less like a bagpipe when I hum an mmmmm! Lots of mmmmms! Ah, this is just gorgeous music and I am excited to see how it all turns out!

[@deirdrejohnson1902]

Greetings from CT, Blake! I'm so excited to be singing with you! Beautiful piece!

[@slipjigger]

Hi Blake! Shouting out from Pittsburgh, PA! This is one of my favorite songs, and I can’t wait to sing your arrangement.

[@Lukasweber1]

Hi Blake, I'm a soprano from Crystal, Minnesota USA. Looking forward to this interesting project!

[@juliadunn3576]

Glad to be joining this project from the other Cambridge! (Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States.)

[@neilbarter9133]

I look forward to getting back to singing. Great fun.

[@erikpaul9331]

Hey Blake, looking forward to your project. Great arrangement! - Erik, huge V8 fan from Connecticut

[@juliasmucker]

This fellow Yankee thanks you for that explanation of the meaning of Caledonia and how we might think of applying the sentiment broadly toward whatever and whomever we're missing. Very meaningful. I can't wait to sing this with Voces8, which has become my new musical obsession amid the sharing of good music that went around within my choral groups as we were collectively grieving the loss of the spring concert season. On a lighter note, I must say that's a quarantine-worthy liquor cabinet you've got there. :-)

[@debbieroberts5447]

am really looking forward to this project! love the tight harmonies....it will be hard to choose which part to sing...

[@cynthiacotten9796]

Sorry I missed this "live"--I am so looking forward to singing this gorgeous arrangement. Thanks for this introduction, Blake, and hello from Western New York, not far from Niagara Falls.

[@jeffwinik]

Hello from Princeton NJ!! All signed up and ready to go.

[@DominicNJ73]

Blake Blake Blake...so cute, so smart and so talented. I wish I knew about your Stay at Home Choir, would have loved to take part, or at least try too, haha. Been too many years since I sang.

[@susiezimmerman2696]

Hi Blake , Yankee from California ,2nd Soprano. Looking forward to this starting August 17.

[@merrilstevenson6977]

Hey Blake. Lovely intro. I'm a Yank living in southern France, of vaguely Scottish extraction and mainly early music background. Have always loved the song as a solo cum guitar, so really looking forward to this very different, and very beautiful, take.

[@agathavandoesburg7297]

So sorry I missed it. Covered in paint I forgot the time!😁😁

[@laguna172]

Hi Blake! Greetings from Denver, CO!

[@alinesoules542]

I was born in Dundee, but now I live in California.

[@bassmanxan3544]

I knew you were American, the first time I listened to "The Luckiest" you sounded super American which was weird since I only new Voces8 as a European choir. Anyway I love the work and I can't wait to see how this turns out

[@mztaylor51]

Yankee from St. Louis by way of D.C., Chicago, Boston, Michigan