How are you all doing?

Hello lovely singers,

Thought I’d check in, as we’re living in such disorientating times. (What day of the week is it?) I haven’t met with any of my choirs for a week and am missing everyone so much already. I’ll be trialing ZOOM sessions for some of my choirs online next week. Many of us singing leaders are trying it. It is learning to do a new job…

This won’t be a ‘virtual choir’, but a guided singalong really. The varying time delays means that if we hear everyone sing together, it creates an absolute cacophony of chaos! Once we’ve all said hello and warmed up, the mikes will be muted and people will just hear me. We can still see each other’s faces all at once, so that will be very reassuring. My choir members been so generous to me about keeping paying their subs, I need to repay them – us self-employed are all so anxious about how we’ll survive, nothing from the government yet….

Bertolt Brecht wrote “In the dark times will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing about the dark times.” Linda Hirschorn has just written this simple harmony for it

Once I’ve got my regular choirs sorted, I could try a Zoom for everyone on my mailing list? What do you think? If you’re interested, download the Zoom software for free. It works on computer, laptop, ipad or phone (phone is least good version) Computer/laptop: https://zoom.us/download
On apple devices (ipad, iphone), search in apps for ‘Zoom cloud meeetings’ and download.
On mobile phone , search in ‘playstore’ for ‘Zoom’.
Most devices will have a built in camera and microphone – my ipad and phone have. There’s a webcam on my computer. Sign up, put in your email address and they’ll send you an account link to follow. I’ll let you know when I’ve set up a meeting for us.

In other news, in the ‘good old days’ of last month,  I had a wonderful time with hosting and putting on two workshops and concerts  for WINDBORNE from Massachusetts .

Here’s a video of them to cheer us all up! ‘Les Tisserands’ (The weavers)
Stunning arrangement – the end section has wondrous harmonies and syncopation!

Well, please be safe, keep calm, rest if you can, and take care of yourselves, lovely people. Mail me any time. carol.donaldson.music@gmail.com

If you want to join my FB group, it’s here

https://www.facebook.com/CarolDonaldsonGroupSinging/

Please share any inspiring videos , music etc and lets  keep our collective peckers up! And remember

Sending everyone lots of love, Carol . We shallovercome