The Northwell Health Nurse Choir from Long Island put on an inspiring and heartwarming audition on America’s Got Talent, impressing the judges and earning them the golden buzzer, giving them an automatic spot in the quarterfinals.
The group of 18 nurses performed a medley of “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King and “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers on the NBC show’s June 1 episode, rendering positive emotional reactions from all the judges. The choir was created during the most difficult time of the pandemic for the nurses to spread love and joy through the power of music.
“We know that there’s a lot of us out there that are still hurting. We’re hoping to just shoot out some joy and some love and to let them know that we found our resilience and we’re hoping that they do, as well,” said Winnie Mele, one of the choir members, during the audition.
The choir members are a part of the largest health system in New York and come from a team of 19,000 nurses that work for various Northwell Health hospitals and medical facilities. The Northwell nurses have cared for 200,000 Covid-19 patients during this challenging year and created their choir to spread positivity and forge bonds.
The beautiful medley led to a standing ovation from the crowd and praise from the judges.
“We need you. The world needs you. It’s going to touch a lot of people. People are going to remember this audition. I’m going to remember this audition,” said Simon Cowell, one of the judges.
Howie Mandel, another judge, described the performance as “heroic” just before dramatically pressing the golden buzzer, granting the choir a spot in the live show.
In a shower of golden confetti, the nurses join together, jumping and hugging together on stage. If the choir makes it to the final round and wins the competition, they’ll be given a $1 million cash prize.
“It’s just been a very dark, trying time for all of us, but the one thing that’s bringing us a little bit of light and a little bit of hope is music,” said Mele. “This choir has actually been a beacon of hope for us.”
Cheer on the Northwell nurses by watching the full performance here.
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