The BBC Lockdown Orchestra perform You Got The Love

14 May 2020

As part of a ten-day creative challenge, we asked the nation to dust off their instruments, warm up their vocal cords and join the newly formed BBC Lockdown Orchestra in a rendition of ‘You Got The Love’.

We were overwhelmed by the response. Nearly 1,500 members of the public uploaded their performances, dance routines and artwork to the BBC Lockdown Orchestra.

We mixed as many of your contributions as possible into a huge virtual performance featuring hundreds of people from all over the country.

The song, released by The Source ft. Candi Staton and also covered in a version by Florence + The Machine, was recorded by the BBC Lockdown Orchestra, a virtual ensemble made up of more than 100 musicians from the six BBC orchestras and choirs and the Ulster Orchestra.

Their recordings were mixed into a rousing backing track of the well-known anthem of hope - and members of the public were invited to play along too and be part of a special broadcast on BBC radio and television.

As part of Get Creative at Home, we also wanted to hear from people who didn't sing or play instruments, but were still staying creative in lockdown. So we invited you to dance or upload your artwork to us to be part of the final film, too!

We crammed as many videos and images as we possibly could into the final track, which premiered across BBC Television and Radio on Thursday 14th May.

But don't worry if you missed out on taking part. Our backing track is here to stay and our challenge remains for you to play or sing along and get creative! It doesn't matter what instrument you play or how experienced you are.

BBC R3 presenter Katie Derham played piano alongside the BBC Lockdown Orchestra

As presenter Katie Derham said when she took part: "You don't have to be a virtuoso, just join in and have a go, and be part of something really special.”

The BBC Lockdown Orchestra is part of the BBC’s wider Culture in Quarantine initiative, continuing to bring arts and culture into the homes of the public despite Covid-19 restrictions.

If you'd like to show us how you're getting creative in lockdown, post your video and images to social media tagging @BBCArts and using the hashtags #GetCreative.