Page 20 - We'll Sing Coverage Book
P. 20
30 November 2020
Music: Conductor highlights need to find
way forward for nation’s singers during
Coronavirus pandemic
By Keith Bruce
ALONGSIDE the tinsel, the tree and the turkey, if one thing defines Christmas, it is
singing. Whether traditional carols, hits that have made it into the Yuletide pop charts,
or the major works of choral music associated with the festivities, singing is an essential
part of the season. And it is an element that will be missing this year.
Because of the nature of transmission of coronavirus, singing in company stopped in
Scotland in March, and there is no sign of it resuming. It doesn’t happen in schools and in
churches, and it does not happen in any of the amateur choirs that bring people together on a
regular basis.
This will be a Christmas without the annual New Year performance of Handel’s Messiah at
the Usher Hall, or the carol concert raising money for the NHS at Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall.
