The Sheffield Beatles Project release lockdown recording of 'All You Need Is Love'

Shut away in our flats and houses, we may not have our family gatherings, our birthday drinks down the pub with friends, and we may not even have each other - in the traditional sense - but we have music, and The Sheffield Beatles Project is proving that that may well just be ‘all we need.’

25 of the city’s finest musicians have tuned their instruments, warmed up their vocals, and come together - without stepping a single social-distancing foot outside their doors - for a brand new lockdown musical extravaganza.

“After the initial craziness of lockdown had settled, the realisation that it might be weeks, even months before we all got to make music together again was a really frightening thought,” said Ben Eckersley, The Sheffield Beatles Project’s musical director.

“So we had the idea of collaborating for a music video.

“Coordinating 25 musicians was no small challenge, but it’s been great to have a proper project to get our teeth into.

“We have always focused on being a live band and orchestra, so this is the first time we’ve ever recorded, and I don’t think any of us ever imagined this is quite how we would do it, but it’s been great fun and we are incredibly proud of the results.”

The video went live on Tuesday April 28 and has already had nearly 40,000 views.

Drummer Dom Ridler, who edited the video, said: “We had people recording on all kinds of devices – some with studio-quality microphones, and others just on their phones, so our audio technician Nick had a big job bringing it all together.

“We gave everyone clear guidance on what we wanted, in terms of framing shots, and it all came together so well.”

And Nick Cox, who plays guitars, keyboards, and does backing vocals on the track, explained there is even a poetic synchronicity to the song the band chose to perform.

“In 1967, All You Need is Love was performed by the Beatles in the first live worldwide television broadcast by satellite; a true technological landmark bringing the world together,” he said.

“Although at the moment we’re having to keep physically distant from one another, we’re so lucky to be able to stay socially close with the use of technology, even more so as musicians, as this technology enables us to get together and share the joy of music.

“What better song to play than All You Need is Love, with its message of hope and its historical link with technology bringing people together?”

The Sheffield Beatles Project launched in 2016, bringing together 30 northern musicians each year to perform classic albums by The Beatles.

Their concerts have united thousands of Beatles fans across the city, with performances at Tramlines, and the O2 Academy.

Visit The Sheffield Beatles Project’s Facebook page HERE to watch the video.