Hope Will Lead Us On (The HOPE Project)
OPB Barlow Girl, arranged by Jesus Gomez
Cantus Youth Choirs and Alumni
Directed by Keith McCauley
Year 10 Commemorative Virtual Choir Project
Cantus Youth Choirs is Idaho’s largest community choral program for youth 8-18 years old. All interested singers are welcome in Cantus, regardless of previous musical training.
Since 2010, over 1500 Cantus singers have produced nearly 35 concerts to audiences exceeding 16,000 attendants. To celebrate this, current singers, alumni, and former guest artists were invited to participate in The HOPE Project, a virtual choir music video featuring the inspiring BarlowGirl anthem, Hope Will Lead Us On.
Cantus originally performed this piece at their 2015 concert dedicated to children with special needs. We share this virtual choir video now to not only celebrate our ten year anniversary, but to share the time-appropriate message during this pandemic to, “rise up again … and let hope live once more.”
Learn how this video was made.
Visit The HOPE Project homepage.
Credits
Erika McCauley, artistic director
Keith McCauley, producer
Jason Ringelstetter, audio engineer at the Tonic Room Studios
Stoker White, recording engineer at Funk Studios
Jesus Gomez, arranger
Amy Whitcomb, vocalist
Michelle Pedersen, vocalist
Nanette Jensen, violin
Brookann Hessing, violin
Eli King, cello
Kyler Daron, electric guitar
Hannah Madsen (Cantus Alumnus), keyboards
Garrick Meacham, bass
Jason Ringelstetter, drums
Zach Sawyer (Cantus Alumnus), videographer
Video submissions
We received nearly 300 videos from current and former members of Cantus. Videos were submitted from all over the Treasure Valley and also from Utah, Texas, Virginia, Canada, Brazil, El Salvador, Poland and United Kingdom.
Elijah Alexander, Luke Allen, Aidan Andersen, Jillian Andersen, Mason Andersen, Madison Asbury, Cami Atwood, Megan Baird, Carolyn Baird, Bastian Baker, Aria Baker, Rhiannon Ball, Annie Ball, Felicity Ball, Brock Barrus, Lexi Beal, Mycah Beal, Daisha Beck, Megan Belisle, Lacey Bernhardt, Erich Bernhardt, Halle Bigelow, Warren Bodily, Claire Bowman, Sarah Bradbeer, Abigail Bradford, Nicole Brown, James Burton, Julia Butikofer, Zachary Carroll, Hailey Carroll, Shaylin Carroll, Krista Carroll, Ethan Carroll, Megan Christensen, Jake Chugg, Hanna Chugg, Cole Chugg, Mallory Cluff, Daxton Cook, Brandi Cook, Davis Cook, Bryant Cox, Abigail Cox, Alex Cox, Camryn Crisostomo, Erin Crowe, Jaden Davis, Sadie Dowdle, Hallie Dowdle, Rylee Duke, Cader Dunkley, Maggie Dunkley, Chris Dunkley, Isabelle Dykstra, Elizabeth Dykstra, Brysan Earl, Spencer Earl, Natali Easton, Joshua Elison, Myriah Ellison, Brooke Elton, Moriah Elton, Clara Elton, Emily Esplin, Eden Fails, Calista Fails, Carina Faraino, Jessica Fink, Bryna Foutz, Brock Foutz, Lukas Foutz, Emily Foutz, Samuel Foutz, Arya Foutz, Carson Frederiksen, Aubrey Freidenberger, Connor Frogely, Preston Frogley, Annelise Gardiner, Elizabeth Going, Brooke Going, Steve Golightly, Ellie Goodan, Ellie Gresham, Lainey Gresham, Stephanie Gross, Brandon Hall, Sarah Hall, Zachary Hansen, Jenna Hardman, Alyssa Hardman, Taylor Heath, Zackery Hebdon, Camrey Hebdon, Ashley Herrera, Joshua Hessing, Caleb Hessing, Audrey Hessing, Ella Hessing, Josh Hessing, Noah Hessing, Katie Hill, Alise Hodgkin, Emrie Holden, Celeste Hollist, Sara Hollist, Maxwell Hollist, Kylee Hudson, Heidi Hunt, Michael Jarvis, Benjamin Jarvis, Chloe Jensen, Loren Jensen, Zachary Jensen, Ethan Jensen, Connor Jensen, Daisy Johnson, Blaine Johnson, Lucy Johnson, Kassidee Johnson, jane Johnson, Sabrina Jones, Chloe Kartchner, Alyssa Knox, Tenney Kunka, Annie Kunka, Tenney and Annie Kunka, Londyn Langston, Bentley Langston, Deacon Langston, Cayton Langston, Eric Larson, Laureana Lazarte, Gideon Lazarte, Seviah Limb, Janie Loertscher, Avalon Lucas, Joy Maryanski, Linnea Mason, Brigham Mason, Annebel Mathews, Milo Mathews, Shelby Mathews, Emma Mavy, Marissa Mavy, Kade McCallister, Kayla McCauley, Lexi McCauley, Keith McCauley, Katie McCauley, Erika McCauley, Chloe McGown, Maddie McKinlay, Maddox McNeil, Hannah Meck, Ryan Meck, Matthew Montierth, Joshua Montierth, Jared Montierth, Morgan Morrison, Bailee Morrison, Callie Odom, Oaklie Ogle, Preston Ogle, Laney Olson, Tawny Olson, Melody Paskett, Andrew Paternoster, Calvin Pineda, Ellen Pineda, Addyson Preece, Taylee Price, Jacob Rarick, Emmelyn Redd, Adam Redd, Annalie Redd, Tagen Ririe, Rian Roach, Addyson Roach, Landon Roach, Annie Roberts, Michael Rollins, Anna Roth, Miranda Ruch, Luis Ruiz-Gomez, Kelli Salisbury, Aubrey Salyards, Grace Salyards, Megan Sant, Steven Schofield, Esther Schofield, Ethan Simpson, Ellie Simpson, Melanie Smith, Jenna Smith, Josh Starita, Kate Starita, Mia Stewart, Ellie Stewart, Noah Stewart, Stockton Stone, Jack Stone, Dutchlin Stull, Holland Stull, Remi Stull, Ivy Tanner, Rafe Taylor, Landen Thomas, Brooklynn Thomas, Ammon Thomas, Quinn Thomas, Anika Trent, Abbie Turgoose, Lena Twitchell, Landon Twitchell, Rebekah Walker, Emeline Walker, Olivia Walker, Bryan Walker, Brandon Walton, Megan Ward, Raeya Wardle, Kinsley Wardle, Miumiu Yangvanich, Payton Yeargain, Scott Young, Emma Young, Lillie Young
Lyrics
Rise up again
Shake off the shadows
Unlock the doors
And let hope live once more
Cause up from the ashes
A fire is woken
Cause those who were broken,
Are becoming the chosen
So lift up your eyes
Cause we’re not forgotten
And hope will lead us on
Our hearts come alive
With every moment
Become the flame
That shows us the way
So sing out your freedom
Sing it out loud
Cause though we are broken
We’re becoming the chosen
So lift up your eyes
Cause we’re not forgotten
And hope will lead us on
Oh we pray for the dawn
And we reach for the morning
And hope will lead us on
Oh the day will come
As we press on
When the battle’s won
So lift up your eyes
Cause we’re not forgotten
And hope will lead us on
So lift up your eyes
Cause we’re not forgotten
And hope will lead us on
Oh we pray for the dawn
And we reach for the morning
And hope will lead us on
And hope will lead us on
And hope will lead us on
Copyright 2020, Cantus Youth Choirs. All Rights Reserved.
Learn more about The HOPE Project
The HOPE Project idea originated in August 2018. Three recording sessions in two different states, nearly 300 video submissions, and a year and nine months later, it launched on April 24, 2020 at 7pm on YouTube.
Visit The HOPE Project homepage.
The Making of The HOPE Project: How to do a virtual choir
Two years before the COVID-19 catastrophe, the Cantus Youth Choirs directors were looking for a way to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We wanted to include alumni, who over the last 10 years, have spread throughout the entire world! We settled on the idea of a virtual choir that we would premiere at our Season 10 Finale Concert.
Read more The Making of The HOPE Project: How to do a virtual choir
The HOPE Project will premiere on YouTube at 7pm on April 24, 2020
Gather your family around YouTube at 7pm on Friday, April 24 to watch the world premiere of The HOPE Project. Video countdowns until The HOPE Project In anticipation of The HOPE Project premiere, we will premiere a video every Friday. Here’s the schedule: Friday, April 3 at 7pm: A Tribute to the Senior Class of…
Read more The HOPE Project will premiere on YouTube at 7pm on April 24, 2020
Cantus Alumni promote The HOPE Project at Finale Concert
Cantus Alumni submitted brief videos of themselves promoting The HOPE Project! This promotional video was presented at the Season 9 Finale Concert to a SOLD OUT audience of 1400.
Read more Cantus Alumni promote The HOPE Project at Finale Concert
Cantus introduces The HOPE Project at GLOW, the season 9 winter concert
Cantus Youth Choirs introduced The HOPE Project to audiences and members at GLOW, the Season 9 Winter Concert on December 15, 2018 at NNU’s Brandt Center in Nampa, Idaho.
Read more Cantus introduces The HOPE Project at GLOW, the season 9 winter concert
Keith and Jason mixing in Amy and Michelle’s vocal tracks
Jason and I just spent most of the afternoon mixing Amy and Michelle’s vocal tracks into the song. Amy and Michelle recorded about 6 different versions of their vocals and then we got to go back through and pick our favorite parts!
Read more Keith and Jason mixing in Amy and Michelle’s vocal tracks
Recording vocals in Salt Lake City with Amy Whitcomb and Michelle Pedersen
Amy and Michelle were the perfect choice! We just got done with our recording session in Salt Lake City and Funk Studios, and I’ve got to say, Amy and Michelle sound amazing together.
Read more Recording vocals in Salt Lake City with Amy Whitcomb and Michelle Pedersen
Our second recording session in Boise with violins and cello
We got all warmed up and played through it a couple of times and then started recording! These three string players put down several tracks that we layered to create a fuller and more symphonic sound.
Read more Our second recording session in Boise with violins and cello
First recording session with drums, bass, keyboards, and electric guitar
We just had our first recording session at The Tonic Room Studio on August 17, 2018. We started with a click track and the amazing Hannah Madsen, senior and current Cantus member.
Read more First recording session with drums, bass, keyboards, and electric guitar
The virtual choir project for 10 year anniversary is born
Cantus has had an amazing impact on my life, and the lives of the Cantus directors. We’re surprised that we’re approaching 10 years of Cantus Youth Choirs.
Read more The virtual choir project for 10 year anniversary is born