The Heard Immunity - Lockdown Chorus
| Type of post: | Chorus news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Debbie Ait-Kaci |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Tue, 12 May 2020 |
Ever since lockdown started in March, Black Sheep Harmony, like so many other choruses, have been meeting virtually on Zoom to rehearse. For us, it’s so much more, as our founder MD David Proud stepped down just as the lockdown started to be replaced by an amazing new gent, Pete “Nooj” Nugent. Although Pete hasn’t had a single rehearsal in charge, the transition has been b-ewe-tifully managed. Virtual rehearsals have included warm-ups from YouTube, singing through the four tracks of the week with each sheep muted. Breakouts into sectional rooms are next, giving us a chance to learn our two new songs and isolate problematic parts of older repertoire. After the 8 o’clock Clap for Carers there’s the educational segment (Mongolian throat-singing anyone?) and finally a good old catch-up in How are Ewe? For some of us this is the highlight of a quiet week.
Despite all this online fun, we’ve been missing singing together and performing, so the music committee decided to make a video, but not just any video. We are so lucky to have the combined talents of videographer Kathy Farrell and tech genius Nooj to make us look and sound fantastic. The LABBS polecat “Anthem” seemed to fit the mood of the times. However there was a fortnight’s worth of anguish as sheep tried to get their heads round the technical challenges of playing a special track in one ear on one device whilst filming on another, with nothing distracting in the background and not chopping off your own head in the shot. Not to mention the difficulties of finding a quiet time and space in homes with children / pets / partners wanting to get in on the act. Then there were the camera-shy ewes, those who are trying to work full-time from home, and the new recruit who had to learn the song first. And finally, we had to abandon our PJs and get glammed up with make-up and presentable hair!
The grand unveiling at rehearsal this week was greeted with acclaim and cries of “Let’s do another one!”. Cue groans from our video editor and MD. So, I invite you to give the final product a watch - just pick 'Anthem' from our Have a Listen Page, or view on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BlackSheepHarmonyLadiesChorus/
Despite all this online fun, we’ve been missing singing together and performing, so the music committee decided to make a video, but not just any video. We are so lucky to have the combined talents of videographer Kathy Farrell and tech genius Nooj to make us look and sound fantastic. The LABBS polecat “Anthem” seemed to fit the mood of the times. However there was a fortnight’s worth of anguish as sheep tried to get their heads round the technical challenges of playing a special track in one ear on one device whilst filming on another, with nothing distracting in the background and not chopping off your own head in the shot. Not to mention the difficulties of finding a quiet time and space in homes with children / pets / partners wanting to get in on the act. Then there were the camera-shy ewes, those who are trying to work full-time from home, and the new recruit who had to learn the song first. And finally, we had to abandon our PJs and get glammed up with make-up and presentable hair!
The grand unveiling at rehearsal this week was greeted with acclaim and cries of “Let’s do another one!”. Cue groans from our video editor and MD. So, I invite you to give the final product a watch - just pick 'Anthem' from our Have a Listen Page, or view on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BlackSheepHarmonyLadiesChorus/
