Ten years ago, Plum Coulee musician Rosemary Siemens, and her husband Eli Bennett, both received Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medals for their contribution to the arts in Canada. 

“It said … Windsor Castle! We were, like … what? We could not believe it!”

Last September, the couple recorded a version of the anthem, God Save The Queen, and through their media contacts, sent it to Her Royal Majesty as a token of thanks.

In early January of this year, the pair was surprised to find a letter in their Vancouver mailbox stamped with the Royal monogram.

"It said … Windsor Castle! We were, like … what? We could not believe it. It was penned by Mary Morrison, the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting. She has been with the queen since 1960, and is known to be the Queen's closest confidante. She says the queen was so touched by our generous gesture, and thanked us for doing the national anthem, and for the Christmas card and for the CD," said Siemens. "It was so amazing!”

Especially during these difficult times, Siemens says this special honour really lifted their spirits.

Siemens and Bennett devoted almost half a year to the project.

“It was over 400 parts. I sang over 100 vocal parts, and over 150 string parts to create the full sound of the orchestra and the choir. Eli produced everything else, all the wind, all the woodwinds, all the brass and all the other parts to create over 400 instruments. To receive this from the queen was just beyond exciting, and we were just so thrilled!”

The recording process was a lengthy, repetitive process.

“I would sing the lead line - the melody - fifteen times, and then my husband Eli would layer it. Then I would make the first harmony, and sing that fifteen times, then I would make the next harmony, and sing that fifteen times and so on, to create the full sound of the choir. It's very time consuming, but that's the only way to get the sound of a choir without having like 100 people in your living room.”

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch, and longest-serving female head of state in history. 2022 marks her Platinum Jubilee, and Siemens says to have the recording play a part in the celebrations would be a dream come true.

With the pandemic forcing the cancellation of their live performances, Siemens and Bennett have kept active by posting music to their YouTube channel, reaching nearly fourteen million views and over 72.000 subscribers.