The Michael O’Neal Singers ONLINE: Choral Singing in the Time of COVID-19

The Michal O’Neal Singers organization (MOS), based in Roswell, is entering its 32nd season of choral music-making. Since its inception,MOS has provided a unique opportunity to the north metro-Atlanta community to experience musical presentations of engaging variety andartistic excellence. MOS recognizes the power vocal music has to connect and heal, and so offers choral opportunities to the community at large by hosting an annual December Messiah Sing-Along and a non-auditioned Summer Singers program.

The 140-member symphonic chorus would normally now be gathering for weekly rehearsals to prepare fall and holiday concerts, but singing, and gathering in large groups, are too risky right now. The Michael O’Neal Singers ONLINE offers a way for choral singers to keep their voices in shape, learn and safely rehearse choral music with a choral“surround sound,” and visit with other singers in real time. Rehearsals are offered weekly via YouTube, and are followed by Zoom social sessions for those persons interested in visiting with other singers.

The ONLINE MOS experience is not the same thing as a virtual choir, in which a singer records his/her individual voice and a sound technician blends all the voices together. MOS ONLINE does not require a singer to record his or her voice; it feels more like singing in a mixed chorus arrangement, especially when headphones or earbuds are used. Those MOS ONLINE participants interested in also having a virtual choir experience can choose to participate in an optional ‘virtual audio’ performance.

The Fall session of The Michael O’Neal Singers ONLINE is entitled Unity Through Song and the YouTube videos will ‘premiere’ each Monday eveningat 8 p.m. EDT, from September 14 – October 19 (they can also be viewed any time after each ‘premiere’ showing). There is no registration fee for participation, although donations are gratefully accepted. Composers represented in Unity Through Song include Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Giuseppe Verdi, John Rutter, and Randall Thompson, amongothers. Singers may enroll from anywhere; MOS ONLINE currently includes participants from 24 states and four countries spread over three continents.

Visit MOS on the web at www.mosingers.com or call 770.594.7974 to learn more about being part of The Michael O’Neal Singers ONLINE.