So those of us who sing choral music have been coming to grips that singing in groups looks to be an activity particularly suited to transmission of viruses, between the deep breathing in and droplets exhaled when enunciating consonants. I don’t expect to get back to singing together in person until there is a vaccine, which could be some time. In the meantime,, many people are trying to figure out how to sing together virtually.
At this point, the software tools to do this in real time don’t exist — there are some real technical challenges with latency — but there are many groups doing “virtual choir” projects whereby everyone submits an audio file of them singing one part and then some very patient person spends hours editing them all together. The first one of these I did was with a loose group of singers who occasionally sing with the Albany Consort. The music is a new piece composed by an acquaintance of the director; he had been meaning to get some people together to sight read it, and ended up doing it virtually. Somehow, I was on his email list, so I sent him audio for both the alto and tenor parts. The result, rough though it is, is found here.
The sharp-eyed among you may notice a picture of me with my hurdy-gurdy in the graphic. The director pulled that from a screenshot of a video file I sent him for a different project. Suffice it to say, I’ve also been quite enjoying improvising with my hurdy-gurdy along with some harpsichord backing tracks he has recorded, even though I am a rank beginner on that instrument. I’ll pass along any mixes that he publishes from that as they come, as well as projects from other choral groups that are fomenting.
Even though it is not normal, we can still make a joyful noise, even if it is perhaps more noise than one might otherwise strive for... That is also liberating, as one has plenty of good excuses for things to be a bit rough!
No comments:
Post a Comment