In March? We started with the Yma o Hyd video recorded remotely and mixed. Nobody could accuse BMVC of not being inventive or failing to make the best of things during lockdown! Zoom “rehearsalising” as weve decided to call it continued and we were getting the the hang of it. Don’t be too ambitious in what you try to achieve was perhaps the best way to approach it. THANK YOU to those who continued to join us on Mondays and Thursdays and to the group of quiz diehards on a Sunday evening. The belief that we would be well placed to resume live rehearsals when the opportunity arises was a flag around which all choristers could rally. When that day comes rehearsalising will be a thing of the past. We were then actively preparing for engagements which may or may not happen, but prepared we must and be ready when the time comes.
In May 21 we continued to rehearsing in Romilly School Barn As the weather and light improved we did a few rehearsals under the Eastern shelter Barry Island. An inspiring view on a Summer’s evening. All being well BMVC woud be performing in the next few weeks The move from singing in the barn to singing outside would take some adjusting to We made good preparation work for our upcoming engagements but as always it’s the prospect of a performance that really concentrates the mind and we commit, or recommit, those words to memory.
We may not be comrades-in-arms but as a choir we aimed to be “Comrades in song ” at all times. Currently this is definitely the mood of BMVC. Long may it continue.
We had “Reasons to be cheerful” in BMVC in September. Great to see good turnouts at rehearsals and new members settling in well – we hope! A further three potential choristers have submitted membership forms which was another reason to be cheerful. Thank you so much for making our new singers welcome – it really does make a difference. The interest in the Welsh sessions had been heartwarming – diolch yn fawr am eich diddordeb. We’ll gave it another week to see if we’ve had a llond bol! A new song was commissioned with grant money about Barry “Between the valley and the sea”? Rhydian Jenkins who had been working with us during lockdown wouldl be our soloist for the November 19[th] concert and that is something to look forward to.
2021 will go down as the year we came out of lockdown and settled back in to routine. Thank goodness.