How did this project with Annie Lennox come about?

This project came about because Annie Lennox saw the video of You've Got a Friend that we recorded for Women's Aid back in April 2020. She was so impressed she decided we would be perfect to provide the backing vocals on her wonderful interpretation of "Dido's Lament", an aria from Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. The song features on a new version of her Christmas album which was being re-released for Christmas 2020.

What's the song about?

Dido and Aeneas is based on part of Virgil's Aeneid. Dido, Queen of Carthage, falls in love with Aeneas, a Trojan warrior. When he leaves her, she is distraught, and sings this lament before killing herself. The song has been called the saddest piece of music ever written.

How did everyone record together?

As everyone knows (after many months of Zoom experience), it's practically impossible to sing together online, so even though the screen looks like a giant Zoom session, all the videos were made separately by the singers in their own homes. We were instructed to wear black and make sure we had a plan white background. It's surprising how difficult it is to find a plain white background in an average house - many sheets were ironed specially and hung up!

What was it like for members to be on a record singing with Annie Lennox?

We were all proud and thrilled to be asked to take part in this project. We actually got to sing with pop royalty!