New CUA choir release first collaborative production "Rise Up"

Staff and students in GMIT, IT Sligo and LYIT - the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) - recently joined forces to establish a new virtual choir under the expert direction and guidance of  Choirmaster Sean Rowland.

The new CUA Choir last week released their version of “Rise Up” by Jennifer Decilveo and  Cassandra Batie (aka Andra Day) in an arrangement by Mac Huff with added vocal parts and musical score from Sean Rowland.

“We wanted to end the academic year with something special for the GMIT Virtual choir and we couldn't think of a better way than inviting our colleagues from LYIT and IT Sligo,” says Sean Rowland. “Given we are all soon to be part of a new Technological University we felt it was a perfect opportunity to enhance our journey and begin to form friendships between our staff and students. A choir is a perfect way to unite people, in this instance eight college campuses, and for the first time the participants got to choose the song. I was able to offer three song choices, but all had a common thread of unity, togetherness, and support for one another. "Rise Up" is the perfect choice to support this theme and indeed an even better choice to celebrate some kind of an end to the last 15 months. This is a simple song but with a strong message (they're usually the best!) We also asked the participants to submit videos of them and their families etc at their favourite hotspots which beautifully capture all the counties representing the Connacht-Ulster Alliance.”

Watch the video and listen to Rise up by the CUA Virtual Choir here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkPO_R09bbE&t=40s

ENDS

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway.
0879618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie   www.gmit.ie/news

Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT working together to become a TU for the West and North-West of Ireland www.cualliance.ie