Staff from Stepping Hill Hospital’s ICU (Intensive Care Unit) are part of an online choir who have released an inspiring new single aiming for the Christmas number one slot.
A 100 strong Zoom choir made up of ICU staff from across the country is releasing a re-make of classic Police track ‘Every Breath You Take’ in a bid to get to the top of the charts and raise funds to support NHS staff recovery 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 their history. Choir members include ICU staff such as nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who have been working on the frontline of healthcare.
Choir members joining from Stepping Hill’s ICU team are nurse team leader Lisa Hinde, advanced critical care practitioner Phil Broadhurst, nurses Kelly Taylor and David Secillano, and consultants Dr Liz Thomas and Dr Matt Jackson.
As more data emerges, it is now clear that around one in ten people who catch COVID-19 end up needing hospital treatment. Of those, around one third end 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.
Working on the basis that music and singing are immensely relaxing for the mind, Choir Director Kari Olsen Porthouse contacted the Dean of the national Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, Dr Alison Pittard and offered to run a pop up choir – with 4 singing sessions and a remote recording of one of the songs.
Jackie Shears, from NHS Digital, and a member of one of Kari’s other choirs, heard about the choir and promptly penned a carefully re-worded version of the Police hit (retitled ‘Every Breath You Take (We’ll Be Watching You)’ to express the extraordinary contribution of ICU workers across the country this year – and to encourage the public to continue taking recommended precautions to help prevent more demand on ICU’s.
Stepping Hill’s Lisa, Liz, Matt, David Kelly and Phil joined the 100 strong choir when they ‘met’ for the first time, on Zoom, on November 25th, singing a range of songs. ICU staff from regions across the country were able to let their hair down and talk about the tough year they had experienced.
Since then, legal permission was granted by SONY ATV, which owns the rights to ‘Every Breath You Take (I’ll Be Watching You)’ and the opportunity to release the song took shape. 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’.
‘Every Breath You Take (We’ll Be Watching You) is released on December 18th and will be available for download and streaming through the usual channels.
Lisa Hinde, Senior Nursing Sister at Stepping Hill Hospital’s ICU said “It’s well documented that there psychological benefits from singing, and I love singing too. So when I heard about the choir via Twitter I really wanted to be part of it, along with other colleagues who also enjoy it. It’s so lovely that Kari has thought about the mental well-being of ICU staff following the very difficult year that we’ve had. Even though we’re from all over the UK, this has brought us together as one ICU team.”
Alison Pittard, Dean of the national 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.”
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.
You can watch the video here.