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!