Sound Effects Choir

The Hollywood Film Chorale Sound Effects Choir, also popularly known as the Honda Choir, is an ensemble that can physically produce human sound effects without electronic means. They are well-known for two performances in a Honda commercial and at the Academy Awards. It is conducted by Steve Sidwell, who is also the composer of their repertoire.cite web |url= http://wklondon.typepad.com/welcome_to_optimism/2007/02/honda_choir_goe.html|title= Honda Choir goes Hollywood|accessdate=2007-03-04 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= 2007-02-27|year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language=English |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Effects

Sound effects are produced primarily by means of using the mouth; [cite web |url=http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/honda_commercial_wit.html |title= Honda commercial with human sound effects chorus|accessdate=2007-03-04 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2006-01-09 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Boing Boing |pages= |language=English |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] the arms, fingers, and hands are also sometimes used. For example, the performers would tap their fingernails against their teeth to simulate rain falling on a car's windshield.cite news |first=Deborah Caulfield |last=Rybak |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Entertaining commercials? ; Coming to a theater near us: A show of TV ads that are actually TiVo- worthy. |url= |format= |work=Star Tribune |publisher= |id= |pages= |page= 1. E. |date= 2006-10-02|accessdate=2007-03-03 |language=English |quote= ] To simulate wind, one would quickly blow air. To imitate the sound of tires squealing, a soprano would make a high-pitched screeching sound.

Performances

The ensemble was featured in a television advertisement for a Honda Civic in 2006 called "Choir", which gained immense popularity. ] The advertisement was made by the company "Wieden and Kennedy", ] and shown mainly at countries in Europe such as the United Kingdom. This performance consisted of sixty vocalists and was filmed in a car park in late November 2005.

In February 2007, the Choir also appeared as performers in the 79th Academy Awards, producing sound effects to a collection of different film clips in a piece called "Elements and Motion". [Cite visual|director=Louis J. Horvitz|producer=Laura Ziskin|crew=|title=79th Academy Awards|url=|accessdate=2007-03-04|date=2007-02-25|medium=Television Live Broadcast|distributor=American Broadcasting Company|location=United States] A video of these movie clips was shown behind the forty-person choir as they performed in Kodak Theater. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Oscars: minute-by-minute: Telegraph film critic David Gritten provides immediate coverage of all the awards ceremony action |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/factfiles/oscars05/oscarspre3.xml |work= |publisher= Telegraph Media Group|date= 2007-02-26|accessdate=2007-03-07 ] Although much praise was given to this particular performance, it has received some criticism of not reaching the high expectations set in any Academy Award festival. [cite news |first=Stephen M. |last=Silverman |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Critics Split Over Ellen's Oscars Performance |url=http://www.people.com/people/package/redcarpet2007/article/0,,20006775_20013464,00.html |work=People |publisher=TIME |date= 2007-02-26|accessdate=2007-03-07 ]

Awards

The Honda Civic television commercial that the Sound Effects choir was featured in won the Gold Lion award in the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, generally regarded as the most prestigious international advertising festival. The advertisement was a contender for the Grand Prix during this event. [cite news |first= Theresa|last=Howard |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=U.S. ties for most awards, but others walk away with big wins in Film |url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2006-06-25-cannes-wrapup-usat_x.htm |work= |publisher=USA Today |date=2006-06-26 |accessdate=2007-03-07 ]

References

ee also

*Chorus effect

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIcTPGdhOPI Elements & Motion] - a performance at the 79th Academy Awards
* [http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/honda_commercial_wit.html Choir] - performance during a television advertisement for a Honda Civic
*cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodfilmchorale.com/ |accessdate=2007-03-08
title=Hollywood Film Chorale's website