As choirs begin to poke their head above the parapet again and prepare for live performance, I find myself reviewing the differences between what is returning and what there was in spring last year. As far as I know only one choir that I’ve sung with has not survived, the South West Festival Chorus, which was already somewhat moribund before the pandemic.
The Cathedral visiting choirs scene is still very patchy, with some Cathedrals taking visiting choirs again and others not ready to. I have the prospect of one such tour in August though.
My concert-giving choirs are arranging informal performances rather than concerts in the immediate future, then planning for a return to concerts in the autumn. The continued closure of the Bristol Beacon (originally planned for 2017-19) is a further constraint. And will audiences want to return in numbers? Proms appearances and being drafted into performances in London and Cardiff are a distant memory.
A further consideration is how much I’m willing to rehearse and perform in a mask when I find this unrewarding and even damaging (because I get into the habit of clenching my jaw). I’m hoping the two choirs which required this will feel able to drop the requirement before too long.