Published: 21 July 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
WANT TO JOIN A CHOIR from the comfort of your own home? The The Jewish Independent Virtual Voices online choir, featuring an experienced virtual choirmaster, is calling for voices to join the fun. All they have do is Zoom in.
“People tell me it’s like going to a party every week!” says Rob Bullen, the The Jewish Independent choirmaster who has also been involved with the North Sydney Community Centre choir for around 10 years, initially as a singer of their 40-50 member group as well as its choirmaster for around seven years.
Furthermore, Bullen is an acoustic professional, lecturing to architects at UTS and the University of Sydney on designing spaces for sound.
“Others say, ‘It’s the highlight of my week’,” Rob enthuses, emphasising the impact and important role a community choir has for many people.
Indeed, there’s scientific research that proves that communal sing-alongs deliver real and measurable benefits. As well as increasing a sense of wellbeing, an Oxford University researcher, Jacques Launay, has discovered that group singing can improve physical and mental health, being particularly beneficial for improving breathing, posture and muscle tension.
Connecting with others through singing is another benefit during these times, the virtual Zoom choir also being inclusive as well as cost-effective; an alternative, interesting avenue in which people can meet as well as enjoy themselves safely.
All are welcome and no singing experience is necessary, “Anyone who wants to come, can come,” Rob says. “I’m a firm believer [that] singing is for everyone. [This virtual choir] is not professional nor is it intended to be; it’s for people to enjoy themselves.”
For singers’ further enjoyment, the songs chosen are popular: “Even if they don’t know them, they’d know the style.” Special arrangements have been organised for the two songs, - Matisyahu's One Day and Jackie DeShannon's Put A Little Love In Your Heart – by backing band Corona Band, and links will be sent to participants with which to practise.
The onset of Covid issued a new challenge: “With people who sing in real time in a Zoom session... there’s a second or so delay between when you say something in any internet connection, and when somebody else hears it, which means singing together is impossible,” Rob explains.
So choir members video themselves on their phones during or after the Zoom session, or the following day while the song is still in their head, while listening to the band accompaniment, then send their recordings to Rob.
“I put the sounds together and make a video with all the people in ‘boxes’, which is sent [to participants] within around a day so they can hear what they actually sounded like together.”
And the parts are fairly simple, Rob assures: “No soprano, alto, tenor, base – just a main part and the harmony or a couple of harmony parts; we just make sounds that sound good!”
To join the The Jewish Independent Virtual Voices choir, CLICK HERE by July 26
