Choirs in the Time of Covid Part 1: 1000 years of singing
Welcome Back to Choir!
Photo courtesy of David Martin
Logging on to write this post, made me realise how long it’s been since the last time. When lockdown descended, I imagined the blog taking on a new life with inspiring ideas on making music in these strange times. But I (and it) fell into that well-documented category of creativity that isn’t inspired by a virus, so we, like the choir, fell silent.
But then as churches and workspaces re-opened and the committee dreamt up new ways of keeping us going, all the while NOT SINGING, I felt it was absolutely time to come back and give voice to how this year has affected us all and what we’ll do next. Choirs in the time of COVID, if you like.
Sanitised and socially distanced seating
It was such a pleasure to take our socially-distanced seats in the sanitised and COVID-safe St Leonard’s to hear Calum’s talk on 1000 years of choral music. The title belied the inspiring detail and knowledge that Calum shared with us. We raced through all the main periods of music from medieval to the 21st century, from Bingen to Whitacre, in less than two hours, accompanied by quirky facts, personal anecdotes and, perhaps most importantly, short snippets of the music itself.
A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Music by Thomas Morley (courtesy of Lambeth Palace Library)
From Madrigals to Virtual Choirs
Did you know, for example, that there was such a thing as a part book, where the parts were written around the page so the singers could all see them as they sat around a table? Or that Mozart apparently transcribed Allegri’s Miserere Mei Deus from only hearing it twice in the Sistine Chapel, risking the punishment of ex-communication? Or that Eric Whitacre pioneered the first virtual choir over ten years ago, long before any of us had heard of Zoom?
Where were the women?
Surely not the only one, still? Hildegard von Bingen
Just as we reached the 21st century and I realised we’d barely discussed any female composers, Calum raised the topic, explained the reasons and how things are slowly changing, but I have to admit the pace is pretty slow. Perhaps that could be the next challenge - to perform a concert comprised solely of music composed by female composers?
Ode to Joy
And that was what made this such a lovely evening. Calum referred constantly to our next concert, or what we might suggest for a repertoire, or what he was planning, which certainly lifted my heart. As we listened to the Hallelujah chorus, humming behind our masks and tapping our feet, (never allowed in actual rehearsals!), I could begin to envisage a time when we will sing again. Of course that all changed rather suddenly when the Rule of Six was announced a few days later, but thankfully, Streatham Choral can continue its educational series and will do so, continuing with Music Theory and a mystery guest on Desert Island Discs. Surely, if park run is given the go-ahead, it’s only a matter of time before we will sing again?