Through the lockdown I have been running the Ryedale Voices and YPMVC rehearsals over Zoom, with significant help from Alison Davis and Helen Smith and from David Todd (who also runs a choir social on Facebook following every rehearsal). We have sung through favourites, learned and recorded new songs and enjoyed virtual concerts and competitions in place of our scheduled program (complete with “virtual” audience members and adjudicators). The sense of togetherness has been as important as the singing and I have been overwhelmed by the positive responses from choir members. Here are a selection of those comments:

I just wanted to say a big thank you for your continuing hard work in keeping the choir not only going but thriving. Weekly practice has certainly helped get through Lockdown – in fact we will look back and be able to say that through thick and thin, we kept singing.

Last night was brilliant. Richard, you certainly do have ‘a way with words’ – your gentle humour and self-deprecating manner were very much appreciated and more than made up for not having a ‘real’ concert. 

That was brilliant. So uplifting. And so funny.  Can’t thank you enough for all the joy you bring.

Thank you Richard and well done. Last night’s rehearsal went really well

Thanks for a great rehearsal, Richard, very enjoyable.

Looking forward to tonight and we really appreciate your work and inspiration during these strange times.

I think you’re doing a brilliant job with these rehearsals 

Belated thanks for all the hard work in not only pulling together Keep Singing, which is a terrific thing and must have required so much time and patience, but also for all the other pieces.  The four parts sound great and the piano playing is beautiful.   Really enjoy listening to them.

It’s brilliant! What a fantastic job . 

What a fantastic world premier. Great synchronisation and muting of extraneous contributions. Already many positive comments from family and friends.

The video is very smart! I’m so impressed!

I love this!!  Very well done to all concerned.  It has made my week

We both wanted to mention how much we enjoyed the rehearsal last evening. 5 songs sang in full plus the final version of Keep Singing, how good was that? 😊. The time passed so quickly and it felt like a thorough choir workout, hardly any voice left at the finish (but in a good way!).

Just listened to Ryedale Voices et al  recording of your song Richard, it was great. I am sorry to be such a dinosaur about Zoom but its lovely the choir keeps going.

It’s brilliant☺!! Well done to everyone that had the voice and courage to take part.

Thank you so much for tonight , It has been a real tonic for me

I do think that dissecting each piece by section and then re-assembling afterwards is a really good discipline.

Well, what absurd times we are all living through. Thankfully, some sense of choir-related normality is being maintained on Monday evenings, so huge appreciation goes to Richard Kay for the Zoom rehearsals and Dave Todd for the follow-up social sessions!

Thank you very much for holding the choir rehearsals on Tuesdays. I am really enjoying them. It’s great to be able to sing again.

Just to say, thanks for our singing just now – really enjoyed it – great to see all that attended, great fun.

Thank you for all you are doing to keep the choir alive. It really is working well.

This just comes to say thank you for keeping Ryedale Voices going over the airwaves.

It is so good to see everyone and such fun. We started our 5th week of self isolatIon on Monday and although the first month has seemingly flown by the realisation has dawned that this will be a marathon rather than a sprint. To be able to sing ‘together ‘ is a real boost to the spirit.

Just to say thank you for last night. I really enjoyed it an found it very helpful.

Thanks for doing this – it will be really valuable in keeping us all together and singing when we meet again for real.

Keep up the great Zoom work, they’re really sociable and I am certainly learning stuff of real rehearsal value.

You have such talent and such a lovely manner. No wonder people enjoy singing with you.

Thanks for running the Zoom sessions, it’s a very welcome distraction.

Thanks for all your efforts for both YPMVC and RV. Really been enjoying the rehearsals, thank you!

I feel so much better about sending my version to you now, perhaps you are helping me overcome my anxieties about others hearing me sing!

Thanks for doing this, it’s really lovely to keep singing.

Enjoyed last evening session. Quite nice to sing own part while you are spending time on others without being told to shut it. Get most fun from the complete sing throughs with everybody.

Enjoyed last night. Nice to see everyone. Many thanks.

You and Dave are doing a fantastic job of keeping the choir together when we’re forced to be apart!  Hope to join in again next week.

Thank you ever so much for doing this, you’re amazing!

Thank you for doing this…..it’s definitely something most of us can’t do…..you obviously have the necessary skills and have put them to the best use.

Thanks Richard and thanks for all work you have done with the Zoom sessions. I think they are really helping to keep us all together. 

Thank you so much for such a fun ‘concert’ Richard, I really enjoyed it!

It made such a change to get all dressed up, really enjoyed the evening, especially the great audience views!

Just played through your composition it’s brilliant and should definitely be included when we do our concert

Many thanks for this Richard, and for taking the excellent Zoom practices. Last night was good fun I enjoyed the virtual Eskdale competition. 

Great show Richard. We really enjoyed it. Such a discerning selection of critics you found in the audience! Look forward to Summer Term.