At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person contact was impossible, the internet proved the ultimate refuge for arts organizations. Online concerts took place daily and other kinds of forums for conversation and interaction came to the forefront.

It was during this time that two children’s choruses, one in the United States and another in Australia, came into contact for the first time. In 2021, the National Children’s Chorus and the Australian Children’s Choir (ACC) met for a 90-minute zoom outing to share digital music projects each organization was engaging with.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic brought live performance to a standstill, it was a heartbreaking loss for young choristers around the world. Our singers went from the joy of performing and creating together to the isolation of lockdown, uncertain when— or if —they would once again share a stage,” Luke McEndarfer, Artistic Director, President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Children’s Chorus, told OperaWire. “Determined to offer them a sense of connection, we reached out to the Australian Children’s Choir and formed a virtual partnership. Our students met online, shared musical projects, and opened up about how the pandemic was affecting their lives. Watching young people from opposite sides of the world be so honest, supportive, and vulnerable with each other was profoundly moving—and many of those friendships endured long after that first meeting.”

Following that interaction, McEndarfer and Daniel Brinsmead, Artistic Director of ACC, remained in touch and discussed the possibilities of working together when the conditions were right.

The result was a joint performance together on July 16, 2025 at the Edge in Melbourne.

“Seeing our two choirs finally perform together in person was more than just a musical milestone; it was a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the deep bonds that can form even in the most challenging times,” noted McEndarfer.

The ACC’s Xavier Dean-Blom was 10-years-old back in 2021 and remembered that initial interaction, noting that it was “reassuring to know that the NCC members understood what we were going through, in missing being able to gather, sing and perform together.” And now, to finally come face to face with his U.S. colleagues was “unlike anything I have ever participated in before… The most enjoyable part of actually meeting the NCC members four years later was just chatting with them about music and how our respective choirs learned about singing. I learnt how powerful music and choral singing can be for life-long friendships and bonds between people. I hope this friendship between our Choirs will last not just into my future of singing in The Australian Children’s Choir, but for many generations of singers to come.”