Lifting spirits with an outburst of choral singing
‘We must remember that the world needs arts and artists now more than ever’
Every chorister from Hamilton to Timbuktu is wondering the same thing during this pandemic pause: When will choirs come together again in-person?
In Norway, choirs no larger than 50 are now permitted to sing together provided that choristers are one metre apart. Slightly over half of the choirs there have returned to rehearsing in-person according to a June 9 New York Times article.
Although things may be looking up in Norway, that’s not the case elsewhere in the world. In a video message posted on Choral Canada’s website, the association’s president Kellie Walsh said resignedly, “Although we are very grateful for the decisions made by our government agencies to help flatten the virus curve and keep us all safe, we recognize that our entire (choral) community has had to suspend many choral projects, concerts and tours, and we see our seasons evaporating before our very eyes … In these uncertain times, we must remember that the world needs arts and artists now more than ever. This is the time for us to continue to be empathetic community builders and leaders, to stay positive, to find ways to inspire, connect, learn, lead, and to plan for our future. The music will return and we want to be ready with an outburst of choral singing like Canada has never seen before.”
Cue Jordan Travis’ InstaChoir and their Canada Day project. The Alder- shot-based Travis launched InstaChoir in 2019 as an ad hoc, non-auditioned, no-musical-experience-necessary vehicle for anyone interested in singing in harmony in a large group setting. Videos on Travis’ YouTube channel and Facebook page show InstaChoir covering pop classics such as “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Let It Be,” and others.
But COVID-19 forced Travis’ InstaChoir to morph into a virtual choir now residing online at www.instachoir.ca. Their first virtual project was a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” audiovideo editor Mike Odendahl of Movinpics.ca having woven the individual video submissions of over 100 singers together into a choral tapestry.
With that project successfully under his belt, Travis trained his sights on an InstaChoir virtual tribute to Canada Day.
“Most of us won’t be able to celebrate Canada Day the way we normally would this year, and we want to help people connect with each other,” wrote Travis in a press release. “It is our hope that this virtual choir performance will bring all Canadians together, either as performers, or simply by enjoying our tribute to Canada.”
Singers downloaded Jeff Taylor’s fourpart arrangement of “O Canada,” learned their respective parts via prerecorded tracks, and then submitted their individual videos. Odendahl has taken those 326 submissions — 295 of them from Canada, 19 from the U.S., and the remainder from Bolivia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and Sweden — and is currently weaving them together for the July 1 launch.
In addition to InstaChoir, Travis is the founder and musical director of Harbourtown Sound, a 75-voice men’s a cappella chorus. Pre-pandemic, they rehearsed in Millgrove Community Centre, but have since moved online, learning their music with Travis and the help of four-part mixed tracks over Zoom.
Like other local choral conductors contacted by The Hamilton Spectator for its ongoing series on choirs and the coronavirus crisis, Travis laments the loss of in-person connections.
“Music and singing have been such a large part of my life and I truly miss being with my singing families,” Travis said. “This includes making music and harmony, but also just being together and the fun and laughter that is created in the in-person choral environment.”
With the cancellation of Harbourtown Sound’s annual spring show on June 6 as well as some other community performances, Travis, like virtually everyone else, is waiting for the post-pandemic better day.
“I think everyone will just be grateful that they are able to enjoy live music once again,” said Travis. “Saying that, I think people will be ready for some great up beat, fun music, something to lift their spirits in a joyful way.”
***** Congratulations to Morgan Luis of Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School, winner of the $750 St. Thomas Aquinas Centre for the Arts Scholarship 2020. She plans to study music at Dalhousie University this fall.