Choir Directors urge government to rethink singing restrictions

[Resurgam]

Leading figures from the world of choral music have warned the government of musical, cultural and economic catastrophe if the choirs and singers of UK who have been brought to a complete standstill by the pandemic are not protected.

A letter from James O'Donnell and 27 other signatories including directors of music from cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges, symphony orchestra chorus directors and the directors of choirs such as The Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen, The Bach Choir, Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, and English National Opera has been sent to the Minister Of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Essentially they dispute the nature of aerosol and droplet production and the risks from a group of singers in well ventilated venues with social distancing.

The letter also points out that professional singers are unable to work from home but with the overly stringent distancing regulations currently proposed they cannot return to work and that the financial difficulties in which many professional singers and choral directors now find themselves will mean that some high profile ensembles will not survive the crisis.

The letter concludes with their belief that it is eminently possible to avert disaster if the appropriate steps are taken now.

There appears to be no likelihood of the latter in the current easing of lockdown unfortunately. Very depressing.

[Old Grumpy]

Leading figures from the world of choral music have warned the government of musical, cultural and economic catastrophe if the choirs and singers of UK who have been brought to a complete standstill by the pandemic are not protected.

A letter from James O'Donnell and 27 other signatories including directors of music from cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges, symphony orchestra chorus directors and the directors of choirs such as The Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen, The Bach Choir, Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, and English National Opera has been sent to the Minister Of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Essentially they dispute the nature of aerosol and droplet production and the risks from a group of singers in well ventilated venues with social distancing.

The letter also points out that professional singers are unable to work from home but with the overly stringent distancing regulations currently proposed they cannot return to work and that the financial difficulties in which many professional singers and choral directors now find themselves will mean that some high profile ensembles will not survive the crisis.

The letter concludes with their belief that it is eminently possible to avert disaster if the appropriate steps are taken now.

There appears to be no likelihood of the latter in the current easing of lockdown unfortunately. Very depressing.

Hear, hear!

Trouble is the government is full of aerosols!*

OG

*Oops, I suspect community whistling is also banned!

[Wolsey]

[...]

A letter from James O'Donnell and 27 other signatories including directors of music from cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges, symphony orchestra chorus directors and the directors of choirs such as The Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen, The Bach Choir, Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, and English National Opera has been sent to the Minister Of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Essentially they dispute the nature of aerosol and droplet production and the risks from a group of singers in well ventilated venues with social distancing. [...]

_{No, they don't. What the letter - dated 12 June - said under the subsection headed 'Where we are now' is, "There is, at the moment, no definitive research into the nature of aerosol/droplet production in COVID-19 although work is ongoing and evidence is emerging, particularly from studies in Freiburg and Vienna, that the dispersal rate of aerosol and droplet emissions from singers may be more limited than currently assumed. Current assessments of the possible risks are based mainly on assumptions, not science."}

Moreover, the first of seven recommendations in the letter was, "We need advice based on scientific evidence, not conjecture, anecdote or supposition."

Since the letter was written, an ENT specialist (who happens to be a former John's choral scholar) and a colleague of his have met a number of figures from Public Health England. Research has been commissioned and preliminary experiments have already taken place in a government laboratory. More work is being done, and from this, recommendations will follow. The urgency is recognised, and this is why the word 'choirs' featured in the Prime Minister's statement in the House of Commons at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Much has been going on behind the scenes and choral foundations have been kept up-to-date, so the pessimism is unwarranted.

[Dave2002]

I agree there are problems, though caution is needed surely.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-super-spreader-events-uk

[Old Grumpy]

I agree there are problems, though caution is needed surely.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coro...ader-events-uk

Though it has been said that some of that may be attributable to choir group hugs, rather than the act of singing together itself.

As they say in the journals...


... more research is needed!

[Dave2002]

Though it has been said that some of that may be attributable to choir group hugs, rather than the act of singing together itself.

As they say in the journals...


... more research is needed!

That doesn’t necessarily mean trying this again to see what happens - a “mistake” which Jenny Harries nearly made some while back - i.e “following the science”. Scientific methods don’t always work with repeat trials and a control and an experimental group. Waiting to get more evidence or deliberately planning events may have severe consequences..

[Old Grumpy]

That doesn’t necessarily mean trying this again to see what happens - a “mistake” which Jenny Harries nearly made some while back - i.e “following the science”. Scientific methods don’t always work with repeat trials and a control and an experimental group. Waiting to get more evidence or deliberately planning events may have severe consequences..

I mean more research into droplet and aerosol spread from a singer in a scientifically controlled environment, not putting a group of singers together and seeing if they get Covid!

[Dave2002]

I mean more research into droplet and aerosol spread from a singer in a scientifically controlled environment, not putting a group of singers together and seeing if they get Covid!

Isn’t it possible for singers to be slightly further apart than previously, and still get good results? Avoiding asymptomatic spreaders is perhaps the most difficult problem. Smaller choirs might be a way forward, too.

[Wolsey]

_{No, they don't. What the letter - dated 12 June - said under the subsection headed 'Where we are now' is, "There is, at the moment, no definitive research into the nature of aerosol/droplet production in COVID-19 although work is ongoing and evidence is emerging, particularly from studies in Freiburg and Vienna, that the dispersal rate of aerosol and droplet emissions from singers may be more limited than currently assumed. Current assessments of the possible risks are based mainly on assumptions, not science."}

Moreover, the first of seven recommendations in the letter was, "We need advice based on scientific evidence, not conjecture, anecdote or supposition."

Since the letter was written, an ENT specialist (who happens to be a former John's choral scholar) and a colleague of his have met a number of figures from Public Health England. Research has been commissioned and preliminary experiments have already taken place in a government laboratory. More work is being done, and from this, recommendations will follow. The urgency is recognised, and this is why the word 'choirs' featured in the Prime Minister's statement in the House of Commons at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Much has been going on behind the scenes and choral foundations have been kept up-to-date, so the pessimism is unwarranted.

Further to my previous message, today's Sunday Times features an article on these experiments which involve two lay vicars from Salisbury Cathedral.

[Old Grumpy]

I won't bother looking as it will be behind a paywall.

[Pulcinella]

I won't bother looking as it will be behind a paywall.

This might not be:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/let-us-spray-salisbury-cathedral-choir-sings-out-in-hymn-safety-test-0fp7rhksf?shareToken=92cd15aa4a3db8036b14c9414d9c928c

Damn! I've been tempted back.

[Old Grumpy]

This might not be:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/let-us-spray-salisbury-cathedral-choir-sings-out-in-hymn-safety-test-0fp7rhksf?shareToken=92cd15aa4a3db8036b14c9414d9c928c

Damn! I've been tempted back.

Thanks, P, that's great.

OG

[Dave2002]

This might not be:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/let-us-spray-salisbury-cathedral-choir-sings-out-in-hymn-safety-test-0fp7rhksf?shareToken=92cd15aa4a3db8036b14c9414d9c928c

Damn! I've been tempted back.

This is of concern to me ...

What the experiments did find was that the flute is the musical villain, propelling air furthest, followed by the bassoon.

For several reasons - one being that I sometimes play such wind instruments - though not the bassoon.

[MrGongGong]

One worrying thing for many musicians (I was chatting to a friend who sings in a cathedral choir yesterday) is that once "everyone" has returned to "normal" in July the spotlight will move along to focus on something else (how the new leader of the Labour party trod on a snail as a child or other such vital story!) and performing musicians will be left hanging with no support and no idea when they will be able to earn a living again. This is particularly worrying for those (IMV) who only operate in one sphere. I know several people who play in orchestras, they don't do anything else, the same applies to many singers. If the room has to be full to fund the gig, then there is not much hope.

There are lots of things that "could" be done but given the competence of those in charge ??????

[DracoM]

Q: does Dominic Cummings play any instrument apart from his own or Boris's trumpet?
Because otherwise, I cannot see this govt thinking the Arts matter enough.