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MUSIC
Divided but undimmed
The city’s choral ensembles and orchestras have been restricted but hardly resting on their laurels – we caught up with a few of the most popular local groups to see what they’ve been up to
P
andemic or no pandemic, you can’t stop song for long. This is not Bomont, Oklahoma, for one thing, and our musically minded have found ways to work within their restrictions, even if it does mostly involve Zoom. We’ve loved seeing how creative people have got – The SelfIsolation Choir (theselfisolationchoir.com), founded by choral singers to comfort choral singers feeling disconnected, bringing them together to sing glorious works, now has over 11,458 subscriptions from all over the world. Singers learn the pieces online and record voice parts from home before these are combined in the studio. Sunday 1 November, 7.30pm, sees the release of Choirshow 2, a live broadcast of virtual choir videos recorded by 14 different choirs – children’s, community, show and chamber – from across the UK, and edited together in support of Keynsham charity The Music Man Project. On the night, there will be a special live ‘green room’ of the choir directors, a live interval performance and the audience will be able to share comments and celebrate using the YouTube chat function and even join in with some community singing. “Most of my choirs have been rehearsing on Zoom since lockdown began, but with no real purpose or performance to work toward,” says organiser Matt Finch, musical director for Bath Light Operatic Group. “Some began to spontaneously make virtual videos and we started sharing them on Facebook. The feedback was brilliant, but I soon realised there was just not enough people seeing them. I wanted a way of celebrating the choirs’ achievements and an online concert, in collaboration with other UK choirs, seemed the perfect vehicle and the best way forward.” A code for each choir involved has been set up to give audience members £1 off their ticket. They can then donate 25% of the rest of their ticket price to the choir of their choice. At the end of the show
Bristol Concert Orchestra conducted by Stefan Hofkes
36 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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NOVEMBER 2020
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NO¯ 194
there will also be a big virtual bucket shake in aid of The Music Man Project – a club where adults with learning disabilities make music with friends and learn about performance, improvisation, and composition. Through the coronavirus crisis, the charity has seen a significant drop in income and has set up an appeal page on Just Giving (justgiving.com/fundraising/choirshow2). “This is a chance for us to make a real difference to many local musicians,” says Matt. Bristol’s ensembles have been rather busy too...
Bristol Ensemble
On 25 March, just two days after the start of lockdown, Bristol’s professional orchestra livestreamed the first of what would become a series of over 40 online recitals. Bristol Ensemble’s At Home series included solo performances and duets by a dazzling array of their musicians, from violinists, pianists and flautists, to recitals by a bandoneonist, percussionists and a harpist. The ensemble has also given outdoor concerts, and created video performances which have reached a worldwide audience, including a special Covid edition of I Will Survive which can be found on their YouTube channel. Many of the ensemble’s musicians turned to music by Johann Sebastian Bach for their lockdown recital programmes. For many, his timeless compositions are a source of solace, consolation and hope. It was with Bach’s famous Brandenburg Concertos that the Bristol Ensemble returned to indoor performances, with two one-hour concerts in October at St George’s Bristol. They are back in the hall on 15 November with a more contemporary programme of hypnotic and meditative music, as they perform a concert of the music of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt – tickets are available now from St George’s box office. • bristolensemble.com
