On the 21st February I sang a programme of William Byrd and John Dowland along with twelve of my colleagues from The Sixteen at The Wigmore Concert Hall. Little did I know that this would be my last concert before lockdown. The last piece in the concert was ‘Turn our Captivity, O Lord’ by Byrd. How relevant those words feel now?
For me and my colleagues in The Sixteen, since the Covid-19 pandemic officially entered the UK at least 18 concerts and a recording have been cancelled and many other cancellations will most likely follow. Cathedrals and churches stand empty and silent. Around 70,000 amateur choirs in the UK no longer fill halls around the country with singing.
So, what now? The words of another Byrd motet come to mind. “How shall we sing in a strange land?”. There is now much debate as to whether it is safe to sing together in choirs as it is seen as an ‘aerosol’ activity and could possibly help spread the virus. But there is a REAL lack of scientific research to truly inform us about this. First we MUST have that science.
For the time being many of us will meet as choirs on Zoom or other media and develop new skills so that we can share ‘virtual performances’. These activities will fill some of the musical gaps and enable us to maintain the social side of singing. I will continue to share my passion and experience in what has occupied over 50 years of my life so far. But as a singer and musician what I will miss most is ‘Ensemble’. Whether it be singing with my Sixteen colleagues, directing choirs or teaching a one to one singing lesson face to face. Even with Zoom rehearsals and lessons, no computer app exists that can allow a group of people to listen to each other and to sing together simultaneously. For two million people in this land alone, choirs are a major part of their lives. ‘Ensemble’ is another word for ‘Togetherness’. And without it, we are yet again isolated.
The hymnist Robert Lowry reminds us that despite the trials we face over the coming months we CAN carry on singing.
My life flows on in endless song, above earth’s lamentations.
I hear the real though far off hymn that hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I’m clinging.
It sounds an echo in my soul, “How can I keep from singing?”
We must and we will continue to sing. After all, “Music for a while shall all your cares beguile”. We will meet online. We will rehearse and learn new songs. We will laugh together. We will sing ‘together’, even if we can’t listen to each other because of internet delay. We will perform songs in our houses and we will feel enriched by the collective fruits of our labours. And we will look forward to the day when we can physically come together again to fill the halls and churches with glorious and heartfelt singing.