In these uncertain and unusual times, the “new normal” doesn’t always look like the old one! The Whitehorse Community Choir has come up with a way to permit members to sing while still respecting their health and safety – a virtual choir.
The choir will be holding virtual practices on Zoom starting on Monday, September 14th.
On Monday nights, altos and tenors will rehearse together from their own homes from 7 to 8 pm, while sopranos and basses will rehearse from 8:15 to 9:15 pm. The choir term will run until December 5th.
Between rehearsals, members will be expected to learn their parts. YouTube links for the pieces, sheet music, and recordings of song parts will be provided to assist choristers to learn the pieces. The plan is to learn a minimum of three Christmas songs.
Each singer will need a computer/laptop/tablet/cell phone and will need to download the free Zoom app. They will also need to be able to record themselves singing using a cell phone or other device. The choir will send out clear instructions on how to do this. It doesn’t require any fancy equipment – some members have already had experience recording their voices and will be able to help out others.
Singers will start to record their first song by mid-October, with each member recording on their own computer/laptop/tablet/cell phone and submitting their sound and video recordings to the artistic director, Barbara Chamberlin. Only she will be able to hear each individual singer; the final result will be a blend of all the participants’ voices. There may be a possibility of sections recording at the Yukon Arts Centre if the Yukon plan for lifting COVID restrictions permits.
“Hearing your own voice singing without others or any accompaniment can be intimidating at first, but we expect that the magic of sound editing will make you sound like the very best version of yourself,” she commented.
Rehearsals will continue throughout October and November as needed, or smaller group coaching sessions will be scheduled to work on areas for improvement.
Registration will be online only; registration forms with further details can be found on the choir’s website at www.whitehorsechoir.org.
