10 Reasons Covid Sucks for Choirs

1. 2020 has been stressful in so many ways and for choir singers, choir is our happy place.  Just when we most need to gather together to SING, we can’t!
2. We miss our choir buddies!  We all have family friends, work friends… and our choir friends! We are used to checking in with each other once a week – maybe it’s your favourite singing buddy or even just a smile across the room – but we miss seeing each other’s faces!
3. All choirs make their living by performing in concerts – concert tickets pay for everything from Artistic Director and Manager salaries to venue rental and purchase of sheet music – and without concerts we’re hurting financially!
4. Communities miss us! Music is an integral part of the life of a city or town and when it’s missing, everyone feels it!
5. Choir is as much a community as a town or village; there is a place for everyone and it can instill a sense of belonging and personal growth.  We’re all feeling a little adrift since we’re not singing together!
6. We miss hugs!
7. Choral networks expand across cities and countries to even the international level.  One of the greatest experiences a choir can have is touring together and singing at choral festivals.  We can’t wait for the day we can plan a tour again! (Click for a video of our spontaneous singing at Thoronet Abbey in South of France!)
8. For many music professionals, choir directors included, performing is their career.  It’s very difficult for choir directors and those in arts administration to have their careers put on hold indefinitely.  Some are holding remote rehearsals via Zoom – but it’s just not the same!
9. Choir concerts help to define the year and the seasons.  Without weekly rehearsals, the days slide by without as much to define them.  Similarly, seasonal concerts shape the year for both performers and audience members.
10. Choir singing has another invisible effect on the community – many venues rely on revenue from choirs to keep afloat.  This includes community and church halls for rehearsals, and churches and performance venues for concerts. Many are trying to stretch their budgets to keep going until choir singers and audience fill their halls again!

In the meantime, let’s all keep safe; this too shall pass! We isolate now so that when we regather, no one is missing.

Here’s our last performance of 2020, an encore at our reprise concert in January – Let Us Carry You!

 

• Tags:
• choir
,
• Covid-19