As you'll know already, this lockdown isn't easy. For Capital Chorus it had been two whole weeks since we'd met to rehearse together in those dim and distant days before the weight of travel restrictions and social distancing bore down on all our lives.  So we were intrigued when Nick, our musical director, held out the prospect of using online technology to hold a chorus rehearsal from home. 

First, we had to sign up to a social networking platform called Zoom. It allows people to meet and talk together online in large groups, and at the appointed hour those of us who hadn't used the platform before were surprised at how easily Zoom let us chat, naturally, together. What it wouldn't do, though, was let us sing together. The answer was to break the rehearsal up into sections; tenors, leads, baritones and basses. Each section took half an hour to rehearse together with each taking turns to sing to the others, and our MD offering feedback on tuning, breathing, phrasing, in fact most of the things we would cover in a group rehearsal. 

It worked well, and to round off the evening in traditional style we all came together in front of our computer screens and webcams once more to talk informally, while many of us poured ourselves a beer in what became our own virtual pub. 

Capital Chorus is now hoping to hold a virtual rehearsal each Monday evening until the restrictions are lifted and the danger from the virus has passed. We'll refine the procedure week by week, but there's no doubting the value of the internet to singers like us.  

Stay safe and keep well.