So, a rather enigmatic title for today’s blog! From the very first week of lockdown in March I decided that it was important to connect with my choirs and on a weekly basis. Whether it be Monday, Tuesday or Thursday (our normal rehearsal nights) it was important that I continued to have ‘choir’ time and so ‘The Corona Chronicles’ were born. Each week for the last 30 weeks I have written to each of my choirs in Altrincham, Honley and Chesterfield. It hasn’t always been musical, although I have included a musical YouTube clip to listen too. But more about what I have been up to and what has made me smile during the week, or perhaps what has annoyed me.

I included tales of my newly purchased bike and my inaugural bike rides, my attempts at baking, what I had watched on TV and of course my commentary on the media and Government.

Whatever the subject matter it felt right to communicate with my singers every week as I would be doing in rehearsal. But what I hadn’t expected is just how much this helped me. After suddenly being told you were not allowed out of the house and all work effectively stopped. I needed to find a routine and this was it. I know, also for many of our singers the weekly lifeline has been important too. But, as I am now back teaching on a regular basis I needed to ensure that I didn’t take on too much, so the weekly Chronicles have now stopped! I am sure there are those out there who are breathing a sigh of relief….but you can’t escape that easily. I will now be writing a weekly blog! This has taken several forms since 2014, but for the time being it will be my way of continuing to communicate with my choirs.

It might be that the subjects covered range more widely as it also has a public presence too, but lets see where it takes us. Writing didn’t always come easy to me as a child as I spent almost a year away from formal schooling due to asthma, but the support that I received in a special class on a Friday afternoon gave me tremendous confidence and built my vocabulary immensely. It also meant I missed PE, but there again I was very good, so I didn’t mind. I have always believed that one method of education, of teaching and learning doesn’t suit everyone and I think that this resonates from the 1 to 1 support I received at Junior school which helped me overcome my lack of skill with words and reading! It certainly doesn’t hold me back now.

As the country reels from yet more restrictions and at times can’t see a way forward, it is important that we do not let this period define us. We must not live in fear! By all means, be safe, be considerate, be careful. But it is important we don’t lose our humanity.

What has been so refreshing over the past seven months is how much I have spoken to people, how much I have got to know them and how much we have been understanding of the situation we all face. I hope that we will continue to come together and that those who have differences will put them aside and move forward ‘singing the same song’.