I’m sure that many of you will be wondering about the way forward for the choir from September. Joel and the committee have already had a discussion about this and while we don’t yet know what we’ll be allowed by government to do by then, we can at least make some plans – even if we have to change them!
At the moment we are considering two ways of meeting as a choir, and we’re hoping to use them in conjunction with each other somehow. One is for part of the choir to meet one week and the other part the next week. How we divide into parts will depend on how many people sign up next season and want to come to ‘live’ rehearsals, and also what the advice on distancing will be in September.
The other proposal is that we use an online video communications tool, probably Zoom, which some of you will undoubtedly have been using to keep in touch with family and friends. It’s not ideal, but it’s a way for members who feel they are not ready to return to ‘live’ rehearsals to take part in ‘virtual’ rehearsals. There will be issues to sort out, but we feel strongly that the choir needs to be doing something, even if, at the end of the day, we can’t perform the concert for whatever reason. We just don’t know what will be happening a few months down the line, but we can at least sing either in small numbers or individually online – no-one else can hear you!
Clearly we will have to postpone our planned programme of Elijah and sing things we can easily manage with whatever number of singers we have. We are thinking in terms of carols with just an organ and/or piano accompaniment.
I wanted to let you know what was in our minds so that you too can be thinking about the way ahead. It is undoubtedly a tricky time for choirs but we’ll find a way!
I also wanted to tell you, if you didn’t already know this, that when our last concert was cancelled, we honoured a good part of the fees for those musicians who had been booked. In fact they received 70% of their concert fee and were all incredibly grateful for this. Work has completely dried up for professional musicians and Joel and the committee felt that this was absolutely the right thing to do.
I will email again in a few weeks with more details in line with what we are allowed to do, and to seek your responses. In the meantime, stay well.
Linda Bridges, Chairman