Oh come all ye faithful for a rousing doorstep singalong
Marianka Swain reports on the plans for nationwide ‘virtual’ carol concerts next month
As coronavirus restrictions threaten to dampen Christmas cheer, carol singing has been at the forefront of people’s minds this week. An open letter to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, signed by heavyweights like composer John Rutter, singer Aled Jones, violinist Tasmin Little and musician Julian Lloyd Webber, argues that carolling is a “fundamental part of the UK’S culture”.
But, with nearly the whole country placed in Tiers 2 and 3 post-lockdown, and with indoor singing limited to performers only, this December won’t see us lustily joining in with a traditional carol at a festive concert or service.
However, some intrepid new initiatives are bringing Joy to the World – or at least the UK – with doorstep carolling.
Cornwall-based Emma Mansfield, who runs a community choir in Lostwithiel, was inspired by Clap for Carers. “We’d all got used to coming out of our houses to clap – that felt safe. So why not sing instead?”
Her choir’s average age is 68. “A lot of people have retired here. The choir has supported them through serious illness or bereavement. They’re all quite high risk for Covid, so they’ve been shielding. Everyone was longing for some joy and singing, together.”
So Mansfield stood outside her flat, “got some massive speakers and set up a Facebook Live. That became Kerbside Carols.” Cornwall is fortunate enough to be coming out of lockdown into Tier 1, but, should that status change, the carolling can still go ahead – as an outdoor, socially distanced activity. Mansfield got funding from her local council and arts organisations, and teamed up with a nearby musician to create “fun, singalong Christmas tracks. We dropped the key to make them really accessible – karaoke style. You don’t have to put on extra-tight pants to get the high notes”.
From December 3, every Thursday at 8pm, Mansfield will be leading carol singing via Facebook Live. “BBC Radio Cornwall is carrying it as well.” You can download a free lyrics sheet from their website, as well as bunting templates to decorate your street. People anywhere could get involved – like Mansfield’s brother and nephews in New Zealand.
“Singing is great for lowering your cortisol, breathing, circulation, clearing the mind and lifting your mood,” she observes. “It’s a light in the darkness.” So is Katy Rink’s Doorstep Carols, formed after she realised how few events in Shrewsbury were going ahead. “Christmas was cancelled. But I remembered how people had diversified in lockdown, like restaurants doing takeaways, and applied the same thinking to singing. Nobody can tell you off for being on your own doorstep.”
It’s grown into a national event. Initially supported by Radio Shropshire, the list of partner stations has grown to 21, encompassing BBC, community and commercial – from London to Northampton. On December 16 at 6pm, carollers will sing carols and festive favourites, such as Jingle Bells and Silent Night. The stations will play the carols to help the singers stay in time.
Like Kerbside, Doorstep Carols has published the lyrics and sheet music on a website, and has made them available to anyone who wants to join in. “It’s all free, but we’re suggesting people donate £2 to Mind – or promote their local charities,” says Rink.
Meanwhile, Shropshire churches are “ringing their bells at 5.50pm – like calling people to a service. We’re hoping other parishes do the same”. Local care homes will organise for residents to sing along too.
Theatre professionals are also taking to the streets, as revealed today by the Olivier Award-winning West End leading lady and producer Maria Friedman. She’s founded Doorstop Productions with husband Adrian Der Gregorian, creating mini shows for people around the UK. The idea came to her after Chancellor Rishi Sunak suggested in a TV interview in September that arts workers whose jobs were unviable “should retrain and find other jobs”.
“That was a body blow – a punch to the solar plexus. Forty years I’ve been working in this industry,” says Friedman. She had been due to star in Hay Fever in Salisbury Playhouse when lockdown hit, while Der Gregorian was heading to Broadway with Jamie Lloyd’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac. Suddenly, “our household, with two children, was plunged into crisis”. The pair watched their recent shows pick up Olivier Awards, “while sitting at home, unemployed”.
They’re certainly not alone. So, mused Friedman, “if everything is delivered these days, why not musical performance? Can’t get to the West End: we’ll bring it to you.”
Customers can contact the company and arrange a tailored show. “You could have one song from Hamilton, another from Les Misérables or Mary Poppins.”
Performers then come to your home, in full costume, and belt out iconic showtunes. “With tap dancing and cartwheels!”
Theatre bigwigs all backed the initiative, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nica Burns, Cameron Mackintosh and Friedman’s superproducer sister Sonia. Normally in competition, “they all banded together”.
It’s a far cry from the West End stage. “If I’d phoned up one of these amazing talents two years ago and said ‘Do you want to come out on a freezing-cold night and dance in the street for someone you don’t know?’, they’d have said, ‘You need help, Maria’. But not a single person has said no.” Friedman is proud to be getting people back into work, “reminding them how valuable they are”, and raising money for acting charities.
She hopes it helps spectators too. “Everyone has a lot of emotions to process. People have lost loved ones. Whether you want to burst into tears, or forget your heartbreak, we can help.”
The shows can feature anything from a soloist to dozens of performers, should you have an area big enough for them to social distance. They could even stand outside a church as wedding entertainment, posits Friedman, or form a street party “with neighbours watching from their windows. It’s safe, shared entertainment”.
However, getting private shows from leading pros doesn’t come cheap. Prices are quoted for each bespoke project, but expect a rough average of £250 per fully-costumed singer; that factors in their travel and rehearsal time. Outside of London, there are fares on top. You can have performers in your street by tomorrow, if you choose prepared numbers, or more like a week’s time for something more unusual.
Friedman is offering a Christmas edition of the doorstep performances, too. “We’ll be singing carols and traditional festive songs, with close harmony, in amazing Dickensian costumes, and accompanied by candles, lanterns and decorations.
“I’m most looking forward to
‘We all came out of our homes to clap, so why not sing instead?’
seeing people’s faces. There’s something about live music that’s just magic. All the amount of virtual this and virtual that – you don’t get the energy between what someone does as a performer and the person receiving it. It’s a two-way process.”
Friedman is particularly fond of carols. “They touch people’s hearts.” Her favourite is Coventry Carol, a beautiful if melancholy piece. “That feels appropriate for coming through an unimaginable year.”
Whether it’s ordering up West End talent for high-calibre carols, or joining neighbours in a rendition of family favourites, it’s clear that Britain is determined to raise its voice in song this Christmas.