Physically distanced but still very much connected, the Songworks community has moved online.
Since March, the Tuesday and Wednesday choirs have taken place on Zoom, with the Songworks Hub providing an extra opportunity to come together at the weekend for a cuppa and a chat.
“I’m so proud of how Songworks adapted and entered into the spirit of the new online sessions,” says choir leader Denise. “Zoom took a bit of getting used to – for me and for choir members – but it has been a brilliant way to come together at a time when we needed it most.”
The sessions are a place not only to sing, but to talk, laugh, share experiences, celebrate good news, and offer support in difficult times. As two choir members put it:
“Denise has worked really hard to make Zoom Songworks an enjoyable and enriching experience that’s so valuable at a time we can’t sing together in a physical setting. It’s lovely to be able to learn new songs against harmonies, as well as sing our old favourites. But most important is to take comfort in seeing familiar faces, to hear each other’s stories and feel connected, especially for those who still can’t get out much.”
Bernadette
“The weeks turn, turn, turn; seasons come and go and still we Zoom, Zoom, Zoom… photos, stories, jokes, poems and most of all songs. Each week we learn that choir isn’t only singing, it is friendly, familiar faces reaching out from little boxes connecting, learning, sharing. Now a harmony of voices becomes also a collection of individuals with shared values and a combined spirit. Denise bolsters our resolve with lyrics that celebrate ‘every little cell in our bodies’ and galvanise us to ‘face the coming storm…like we’ve never loved before’. And we join in singing our togetherness.”
Geoff