Choirs in touch and full voice

AT ten o’clock each morning, Ballarat’s Sing Australia choirs stop to sing the same song at home.

Whether in the garden, the kitchen or bathroom this week, singers have already covered a repertoire of Love Me with All Your Heart, Catch a Falling Star, I am Australian, I Love A Sunburnt Country and Autumn Leaves.

Sing Australia member, Fiona Watson enjoys the initiative so much, she records her singing to share on social media. She even wrote her own short song for Sunday, when the choir has a day off.

“Other people have started to record themselves too and upload to Facebook. It’s good to know that even former members can see what their friends are doing. We’re keeping in touch,” she said.

“A lot of our members are older and living on their own, so just this feeing of being connected, even if they’re not seeing each other is having positive ramifications.

“They know that somewhere around Ballarat there’s 180 people being as silly as they are, singing in their backyards. It’s having a wonderful affect. We never realised it would be so much fun.”

Coco Sounds’ Thursday Night Choir experimented with a Zoom rehearsal last week for the first time, led by Stella Savy.

Like Sing Australia Ballarat and Ballarat North, her group is about fostering friendships and getting in touch with what’

s happening in the community, as much as it is about music.

“Zoom choir is definitely not the same as choir, but they all got to chat and catch up,” Ms Savy said.

“Because there’s an internet delay, you’re really singing on your own. I got them to mute their sound, and I would sing and run a warmup while they all sang in their lounge rooms.

“We ran through our usual songs, going over parts so they could sing their harmony against what I was singing.”

She said conducting a rehearsal via Zoom is great if choir members are already experienced, and understand the repertoire, but it would be difficult for a new singer to have their introduction in this online space.

“You’d still be singing, but you don’t get the awesome high you get when the group is singing together,” Ms Savy said.

Regardless of how smooth the choir runs via video, it’s simply most valuable to keep a relationship with music at home.

“There are mental health benefits to music and there are beautiful endorphins you get when you stand up, take a deep breath and sing in full voice. There’s something very powerful about that.

“It’s extremely important for people to maintain their musical skills whether it be singing, an instrument, dancing, or starting to learn something,” she said.

“There’s never been a better time.”

Coco Sounds is set resume its choirs, drum group and instrumental lessons over Zoom in term two. Visit facebook.com/CocoSounds to get in contact and involved.