Dorset founder of 'The Choir of the Earth' awarded a British Empire Medal
Mark Strachan from Sherborne has been given a British Empire Medal in the Queen's New Year's Honours
A Dorset choral singer who started an inline choir during lockdown has been awarded the British Empire Medal for charitable services to musicians during Covid-19.
63-year-old Mark Strachan from Sherborne founded The Choir of the Earth in April 2020.
With restrictions in place preventing him from practising choral singing, he founded the choir with the thought that 30 or 40 people would join. Instead over 8,000 people from all over the world signed up.
Mark told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
" It was so amazing, within three of four days we had 3,500 taking part. People from Canada, from America, Singapore and Thailand."
The choir rehearses and performs in isolation, and has even gone so far as to host a Summer School.
Mark said it's been a real lifeline to may people:
"If I step back from my own personal award and look at that this new way of learning music has managed to do, it has brought a light and new hope to thousands of people all over the world who feel they have been brought together in song and in music.
"It's helped people who are missing their friends and their family and who can join together in music.
"And I think this new way of learning music has helped people's mental health and ability to remain connected with people when they are self-isolating."
The Choir of the Earth also produce CDs of their performances and has provided income streams for a significant number of professional musicians.