Last week, we returned to in-person rehearsals for the first time since March 2020. In that time, we’ve had a whole choir year of Zoom rehearsals. Much as those rehearsals were better than nothing, they did have significant limitations – particularly in that you couldn’t hear anyone else singing but yourself! So,now the time has come where we can all sing together in one place again it brought a flood of emotion to us all. It’s great to be back!
As you might expect, while being able to sing together is a step towards ‘normal service’, there will be some differences to the way rehearsals are organised. This is important as we look to minimise the risk of unwittingly passing any infection from an unaware and asymptomatic member to another. We’re taking several precautions which we think are sensible and proportionate. Here are some examples:
- Requiring members to wear masks as they enter/exit or move around (but allowing them to be removed when seated or singing)
- Requiring members to sanitise their hands when they enter the rehearsal space
- Ensuring shared surfaces (door handles, piano keys etc) are cleaned before each rehearsal
- Arranging ourselves with a minimum of 1m distance between members
- Enhanced distancing and physical barriers between the Musical Director and the choir
- Monitoring levels of ventilation within the rehearsal space
- Reducing the length of rehearsals
- Asking our members to consider taking regular lateral flow tests, ideally including one within 24hrs of a rehearsal
- Finally, asking members to stay away if they are feeling unwell in any way or have been asked to self-isolate (and we provide Zoom access for those members instead)
Our efforts are going towards an exciting new project (details to be announced soon), so we’re working really hard to ensure our in-person rehearsals are a success, not just musically but in keeping everyone as safe as we can.
Do you want to join us? We’re always on the look-out for new members for all voices! With in-person rehearsals resuming we can also offer in-person auditions too, so there is no time like the present to find out more about joining our choir! You can find out more here, or you can Contact Us to ask any questions you may have.