Page 26 - We'll Sing Coverage Book

It first took place in December 1918; a gift to the people of Cambridge. Dean Eric Milner-
White, a former chaplain in the trenches, conceived the public service, Cherry explains, “as a

creative response to a perceived pastoral need”. In 1928 the BBC began broadcasting. Fame as

an event grew: people travelled from afar, queueing from December 23 to secure attendance.

This year will be the first to take place without a physical congregation. From the pulpit Cherry

will address a global, virtual fold and hopes that “after a difficult year it will be a gift to the

world”. An anxiety for Hyde is that the wider musical community may see this year’s Christmas

broadcasts as “King’s arrogantly getting on with business as usual. Because it’s not been
business as usual for anyone.” Boy choristers have had to wear masks and adhere to bubbles far

more stringently than most primary-aged children; Zoom cannot make up for a whole missed

term of choral harmonising.

“Through all of this, singing has been victim to an unfortunate and bad narrative. It has been

convenient, I think, for government to club certain cultural pursuits like singing and playing

wind instruments together with social activities and brand them as dangerous. I hope this year’s

broadcasts will lend support to those choirs and colleagues less fortunate than us.”

Rutter says: “Every musician’s middle name is resourcefulness. We’ve all been determined not

to let the virus cancel Christmas.” Tickets to stream the Christmas with John Rutter concert he
recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra can be bought until Tuesday (rpo.co.uk). Other

Covid heroes of the UK choral scene include Voces 8 (voces8.com), whose Live from

London virtual concert series have streamed to more than 40,000 internationally. The Sixteen

(thesixteen.com) are streaming their imaginative site-specific Choral Odyssey.

Some of the Huddersfield Choral Society were able to record and film We’ll

Sing (huddersfieldchoral.com), new commissions with lyrics by the poet laureate, Simon

Armitage, written in response to Covid. The choir lost two stalwarts to it in the first lockdown.

“Some have felt guilt that we were rehearsing until lockdown,” says conductor Gregory

Batsleer. “This project felt like a first small step towards recovery.”

At King’s I meet Philipp, 10, Julian and Leo, both 12. They giggle about choral home schooling
and take pride in the fact that there has not yet been a single case of Covid in school. This year a