More on the Internet Choir

More details from yesterday's interesting find about rehearsing a choir over the internet. Full story here.

Dr. Barry Cheetham, a senior lecturer in The School of Computer Science at The University of Manchester, is seeking to combine his academic expertise in communications, networks and digital signal processing with his love of choral singing.

He is looking for funding to drive forward a project that will bring together amateur and semi-professional singers across Europe for seamless and polished live performances.

But to make this possible he will have to address the limitations of existing communications networks.

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If there is too much delay, the ‘real time’ interactive experience of singing in a choir will not be achieved.

The voices travelling down the wires will need to be processed and digitised quickly to achieve the required high sound quality. The voices will also need to be accurately merged to give the impression all the singers are together in one concert hall.

Other challenges include discovering how a conductor can control and rehearse a choir made up of people in different locations and how singers can be made to feel as if they are interacting with fellow performers.

The planned study will focus on classical and popular choral music, hymns and carols. It could include schools, church choirs and congregations of any denomination.

At the moment there are no plans to include professional orchestras and Internet-based rock and pop bands in the study, as even lower levels of delay are likely to be required.