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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 an advertisement for [[Honda]], and at the [[Academy Awards]]. It is conducted by [[Steve Sidwell (musician)|Steve Sidwell]], who is also the composer of their repertoire.<ref name="hondachoir">{{cite web |url=http://wklondon.typepad.com/welcome_to_optimism/2007/02/honda_choir_goe.html |title=Honda Choir goes Hollywood |access-date=2007-03-04 |date= 2007-02-27}}</ref> The advert for Honda followed the advert from April 2003, “[[Cog (advertisement)|Cog]]”, which showcased the [[Honda Accord (Japan and Europe seventh generation)|Honda Accord]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jan/30/mondaymediasection6|title=Why the new Honda advert is a huge disappointment|newspaper=theguardian.com|date=29 January 2006|access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

==Production of Effects==
Sound effects are produced primarily by means of using the mouth; the arms, fingers, and hands are also sometimes used.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/honda_commercial_wit.html |title=Honda commercial with human sound effects chorus |access-date=2007-03-04 |date=2006-01-09 |publisher=Boing Boing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310205051/http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/honda_commercial_wit.html |archive-date=2007-03-10 }}</ref> For example, the performers would tap their fingernails against their teeth, to simulate rain falling on a car's windshield.<ref name="startribune">{{cite news |first=Deborah Caulfield |last=Rybak |title=Entertaining commercials? ; Coming to a theater near us: A show of TV ads that are actually TiVo- worthy. |work=Star Tribune |page= 1. E |date= 2006-10-02}}</ref> 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 January 2006, called ''Choir'', which gained immense popularity.<ref name="startribune" /> The advertisement was made by the company ''Wieden and Kennedy'',<ref name="hondachoir" /> 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 the end of 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''.<ref>{{cite video|people=Louis J. Horvitz; producer: Laura Ziskin|title=[[79th Academy Awards]]|date=2007-02-25|medium=Television Live Broadcast|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company]]|location=[[United States]]}}</ref> A video of these movie clips was shown behind the forty person choir, as they performed in [[Kodak Theatre]].<ref>{{cite news |title= The Oscars: minute-by-minute: Telegraph film critic David Gritten provides immediate coverage of all the awards ceremony action |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/factfiles/oscars05/oscarspre3.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303121557/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/factfiles/oscars05/oscarspre3.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-03-03 |publisher= Telegraph Media Group|date= 2007-02-26|access-date=2007-03-07}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |first=Stephen M. |last=Silverman |title=Critics Split Over Ellen's Oscars Performance |url=http://www.people.com/people/package/redcarpet2007/article/0,,20006775_20013464,00.html |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |publisher=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |date= 2007-02-26|access-date=2007-03-07 }}</ref>

==Awards==
The television advertisement for the Honda Civic, that the Sound Effects Choir was featured in, won the Gold Lion Award in the [[Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival]] in September 2006, generally regarded as the most prestigious international advertising festival. The advertisement was a contender for the [[Grand Prix (Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity)|Grand Prix]] during this event.<ref>{{cite news |first= Theresa|last=Howard |title=U.S. ties for most awards, but others walk away with big wins in Film |url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2006-06-25-cannes-wrapup-usat_x.htm |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date=2006-06-26 |access-date=2007-03-07 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Chorus effect]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070310205051/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/ |access-date=2007-03-08
|title=Hollywood Film Chorale's website}}

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[[Category:American choirs]]
[[Category:Sound effects artists]]

Sound Effects Choir - Revision history

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