It’s an iconic Scottish song which will reverberate across the world on Hogmanay.
But a group of Aberdeen University students found themselves performing a very special version of Auld Lang Syne at a UNICEF event earlier this month.
And they discovered afterwards that their rendition of the famous melody – which took place in a power cut – happened just yards away from Ringo Starr.
The university’s Chapel Choir brought in the bells early for the elite of New York society, following their performance at one of the globe’s largest fundraising galas.
They linked up with Grammy-winning artist Sheryl Crow at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball where they sang a Beatles tribute in front of Ringo, who described their version of Here Comes the Sun as ‘awesome’.
But the group really stole the show at the celebrity after-party when they stepped in to perform an acapella (unaccompanied) version of Auld Lang Syne, following the temporary power failure at around 1am.
Choir member Peter MacPherson, from Inverness, who sang the solos during the performance, said: “The Snowflake Ball is one of the most spectacular events imaginable and we were privileged to be invited to sing with Sheryl Crow.
“It was incredibly nerve-wracking, especially as I was the only choir member without music, but it is something none of us will ever forget. Not least because Ringo Starr was sitting just a couple of feet away from us.
“When he stood up at the end and said: ‘That was awesome’ – it is something that we will all carry with us for the rest of our lives.
“We were then invited along to the after-party which was incredibly generous but unfortunately, towards the end, the power blew.
“No one wanted the night to finish, so we decided we should do something to help and began to sing Auld Lang Syne, very slowly at first but getting faster and faster.
“The response was incredible. It was surreal that this choir from Aberdeen was centre stage with the elite of New York society and they were so complimentary about our impromptu performance.
“It wasn’t planned, but it was one of the highlights, not just of this year, but probably all our lives.”
Tyler Armstrong, managing director of Special Events at the US Fund for UNICEF described the ensemble’s performance as in ‘perfect harmony’.
He said: “The Chapel Choir inspired our audience with the voices of the next generation of global citizens.
“I’ll never forget the impromptu performance of Auld Lang Syne. It was breathtaking and the perfect end to the evening.”
