1500 Singers Cover 'Across The Universe' With Rufus Wainwright and Choir! Choir! Choir!

Choir! Choir! Choir! and Rufus Wainwright have released a cover of "Across The Universe" featuring virtual contributions from around the world. The global video is made up of thousands of singers who submitted videos from a various locations across the planet. 

The project began with a phone call between Rufus Wainwright and Choir! Choir! Choir! co-founders Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman. They invited people from all over the world to submit videos of themselves singing the timeless Beatles classic. Wainwright, who takes on the lead vocals, also celebrated the release of his brand new album, Unfollow the Rules, this month.

They hoped receive 500 submissions after participants learned a harmony part through an instructional video, choosing either a part A or part B. They instead received an overwhelming 1500 submissions.

After weeks of reviewing the clips, undertaking a massive audio mix, and several attempts at an arduous video edit, the work was compiled with the help of Steve Major & longtime collaborator Byron Wong.

Wainwright says:

"I have sung 'Across the Universe' for many years. But only now do I truly understand the chorus. It is really the universe that is singing 'Nothing’s gonna change my world.' It is a thrill to express this eternal fact with so many voices from all around the planet."

Nobu Adilman comments:

"Whether it’s living through COVID-19, standing with equality, the Black Lives Matter movement: when we give back to our communities, we will always feel stronger and less alone.

We are overjoyed to share our cover of The Beatles' 'Across The Universe' with Rufus Wainwright and a truly international Choir! Choir! Choir!. As the days pass, we hope we never forget that our voices make a huge difference. In times of pandemics, massive economic hardships and social change, we will be there for each other."