The concept of a choir existing in separate homes across the Island would seem strange, were it not for the example of a number of professional groups in the UK which have successfully managed to connect the voices of their members for online broadcasts.
Since Imogen Nicholls’ Musical Originals choir have won acclaim at numerous international competitions, it should not be a surprise that they too are combating the physical separation that lockdown brings with music across the internet.
‘The training choir has gone online and the kids are loving it,’ she said. ‘I send them rehearsal tracks and warm-up videos. If I’m teaching a new song, I do that on video first, and they’ve got to practise it in the week, and then we have a choir “rehearsal” every Saturday morning where we all sing our fun songs and warm-ups, and things which people might have a few issues with.’
In addition to choir rehearsals, Ms Nicholls – who was made an MBE in the last Queen’s Birthday Honours list – is also teaching singing online using the Zoom platform which, designed as it was for the human voice in meetings, can be easily adapted to the demands of singing.
She said: ‘I’ve learnt a great deal and in private lessons it’s not a problem. I email the child a backing-track and we can work with that towards the end of the lesson, but basically I sing and then they sing. I can hear their singing because Zoom is so well set-up for the human voice.’
Group classes and meetings of the choir require more flexibility, because the inevitable delay that occurs with online communication makes it impossible to achieve the precision necessary to drill synchronised voices.
‘Everyone has to have their microphones muted at their end and they have to listen to me. I will then hear one child sing at a time and they will put their microphone on. But I can’t accompany them at the same time because of the delay.
‘In a class of six to eight we can’t be faffing around with backing tracks, so what I do is send them a video after the class. I redo the class on video or audio and I send them that, so it’s twice the amount of work but it’s incredibly important to keep it going,’ Ms Nicholls added.
In these unusual times, many aspects of ordinary life have been suspended. Members of the choir due to take exams this month – 11 were sitting their grade seven in singing – are now expecting to take their qualification next year instead at a higher level.
But classes and singing together continue in defiance of the virus – to the evident delight not just of the singers.
‘The parents are really appreciating it. It’s keeping some sort of normality in the children’s lives, I suppose,’ Ms Nicholls said.
