The joy of singing together and being with friends and creating new musical memories is still with me this morning after a very successful singing day on Saturday. Of course I have done them before, but there was something rather special about this event.

It was the first time that many had sung in 20 months, the first time that people had sung together following one of the most challenging periods of our time. Choirs were silenced in March 2020, but as the new term starts in schools and universities, so too do our choirs.

Having so many in the same room and singing together was at times quite emotional as well as joyful. Some had not seen each other for at least 5 years and it was like we had never been apart.

Karl Jenkins, The Armed Man has become a very special piece for many that sang together on Saturday and this occasion was no less so. It was of course 9/11 – twenty years on, but it also stirred memories of where many of us had performed this piece before and we were able to share those.

But, it was extra special to be able to raise money for Fairfield School; someone described it as giving them a warm feeling and of a place where you knew it made a difference to young peoples lives…and indeed it does!

Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout the day, to all those who attended and helped to make a difference.

You can still contribute by making a donation (minimum £5) to receive a pdf email of ‘The Corona Writings’. Chronicles and blogs that cover 18 months without live singing and how my choirs remained connected. If you would like a copy, please email thecoronawritings@gmail.com

Thank You!

It’s back to school for many and it’s back to choir too! After 18 months of online rehearsals for many and for some no singing at all, the choir world is returning. Although precautions are still being taken and mitigations in place we are about to sing again.

However, I sense an underlying feeling of just wanting to be back to normal. Certainly for those who feel comfortable returning, they seem to want it back the way things were. What is important though is how we make it comfortable for everyone to return. Sadly, I know that some members in all choirs will have called it a day and hung up their choir voice, but we need to support our singers and show them that it is safe.

We have had no further research to help and the Government has other priorities, so we are left to fend for ourselves. Organisations like Making Music and the Association of British Choral Directors have been particularly helpful and have supported conductors and amateur musical groups throughout these past months of uncertainty.

But we need to push forward now and we need to sing again and we need to reclaim our choral tradition!

So, good luck to every choir returning this week and indeed to any musical group, and musician both amateur and professional – we will no longer be silent!

Choirs were ‘muted’ abruptly in March 2020 and at that point I knew I wanted to continue to communicate with all three of my choirs, almost as if I were still with them in rehearsal. So, for 30 weeks I wrote ‘The Corona Chronicles’ which became individual messages to each of my choirs, as well as musical links to listen to. After that, when I returned to teaching ‘The Corona Blogs’ were born and continued until July 2021, when there was a semblance of us being back together. Both the chronicles and blogs have been collated along with other messages and choir comments to form the collected ‘Corona Writings’.

These are available as a pdf manuscript by email. I had dabbled with publishing them in a book, but I wanted to raise money rather than spend it, hence the pdf.

The writings are a record, not only of my personal journey through the pandemic, but that of my choir members.

I am asking for a minimum donation of £5.00 – 80% of which will go toward fundraising at Fairfield School, Batley. The school caters for students with highly complex needs including those with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and those with multi-sensory impairments.

Please support the school and read about my own experience and how my choirs kept connected.

If you would like to purchase or donate to receive a copy email me at thecoronawritings@gmail.com for more information.

Thank you for your support.