COUNCIL TALK 01/2021 - The digital magazine of the World Choir Council

THE CORONA CRISIS AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE CHORAL WORLD
A choir is more than the sum of its voices…
The new possibilities of technologies were used
extensively and became a popular tool to overcome
creative self-isolation, which also affected the
rehearsal process. Even though synchronous
singing and choral rehearsals in large groups
are technically impossible or difficult, the digital
applications are a good opportunity to maintain
social contacts and community.
Li Peizhi, president of the Chinese Choral
Association, said in an interview, “I think people,
and especially musicians, are using their ability
and energy to express and transmit their emotions
and their thoughts. [The] projects are wonderful
because the message they send out is consistently
positive and has made people realize the great
power of music.”
This bond and solidarity that has united the choral
world in recent months, even if only virtually,
will hopefully accompany us in the future and we
should continue to cherish it.
What will the new normal look like
after the pandemic
The questions that now arise at the beginning of
the new year, as vaccinations begin worldwide and
(hopefully) with the end of the crisis in sight: What
are the lessons we learn from this crisis? What
impact will these experiences have on the choral
world and how will choral work change?
Russian choral legend Vladimir Minin commented
on this in an interview: “Digital technologies are a
temporary means, a way out, a tool for information
exchange - but nothing more. No technology can
convey the living energy of the choir, and the subtle
intricacies of the movement of its collective soul.“
Li Peizhi, President of the Chinese Choral
Association, has a similar view: “These new forms
of singing and online lectures are currently very
popular all over the world. I personally think that
this is a special countermeasure in a special
time to satisfy the strong desire for singing.
Choral singing is a fantastic way for people to
communicate emotions, but this requires contact
and time to rehearse. Therefore, it‘s imperative
that we experience the artistic engagement that
occurs in actual rehearsals to unleash the full
beauty and charm of the choral art.“
Tim Sharp, a member of the Advisory Board of the
World Choir Council, hopes “to be able to use these
tools when we sing together again. I firmly believe
that we will emerge from this time stronger,
and we will also have learned how to teach and
communicate with new tools that are appropriate
for choral music education, performance,
composition, and advocacy.”
Digital technologies are good and valuable tools
for the current time and they will certainly be able
to enrich choir work in certain areas in the future.
However, it is also clear for the choral world that
the virtual will not be the new normal. What is
missing is the interpersonal aspect, the dynamics,
the immediate communication with fellow singers
- the essence of singing together that we all sorely
miss.
We don‘t know what the future will look like, but we
are confident that it will be beautiful and, above all,
full of singing!
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