Since the announcement last week that all legal restrictions will be lifted on 19th July I have seen so many comments both for and against this. However, whatever your personal stance happens to be it is not an excuse to be unkind or critical. Since March 2020 everyone has had to come terms with so much and the last thing anyone needs now is to be criticised for their opinion. I have said this before and I will repeat it again today, we must be kind to each other…it’s that simple!

This last week and for the first time in many months I had live rehearsals with all of my choirs and without exception it felt good to be back singing together. But, and you knew there was a but, we had only 6 singing and we were following the guidance that remains in place for us, but also for our rehearsal venues.

We shall, find out tomorrow what the ‘unlocking’ will look like! But will we actually have any guidance to follow, or will it simply be to have common sense? I am hopeful that before the end of July we will have returned as a full choir, or rather with as many who wish to return, to at least allow us to know what it will be like in September!

We will remain cautious as we return because I and our committees who have worked so hard, have a duty of care to our singers and we have and will continue to take that responsibility very seriously. Remember, our committees are still volunteers, but we should all be thankful for their resilience, professionalism and patience in working to keep our choirs connected.

Many of you have gone above and beyond to keep everyone connected, both those who have been able to join us online and those who have kept in touch via other means. We are all one and we can be proud of our collective achievements.

It feels strange that we may soon be able to enjoy the music again, and it will be a joyous occasion, but you must all remember that it is your moment, your triumph and your determination to get our voices heard. You have all proclaimed loudly that choirs matter and that message has been heard.