ROANOKE, Va. – COVID-19 may have many of us rethinking our space, but it can’t control our sound.
The Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir is still singing together, despite not being able to practice in person. They’re preparing for a virtual concert this weekend.
Vocal warm-ups may look different, but sound-wise, they’re right on key. Katie Jeremiah is a high school senior and member of the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir.
“It’s really hard knowing that we never got to have our official last rehearsal," Jeremiah said. “Or our last real on-stage choir concert together.”
But her last note with the choir hasn’t been sung yet.
“In adversity we can grow,” said Kim Davidson, the choir director. “And it’s a challenge, but we can learn new skills and we can become stronger and better people from it."
Davidson is using modern technology to rehearse as usual.
“In some ways we’ve gotten to know each other on a deeper level,” Davidson said. ” We see each other’s homes; we connect about technology problems.”
Their virtual spring concert will premiere live on their YouTube channel this Sunday at 7 p.m. Four different choirs will perform two songs. To make this work, each of the 200 children participating will record their audio files individually. Then everything is edited together after doing a combined Zoom video.
Sixth grader AnnaRuth Judd, admits recording herself is a bit nerve-racking.
“Because what if I had the wrong pitch,” Judd said. “To a song or something like that I was nervous I could mess up the whole song.”
But practice makes perfect, even in the relatively uncharted waters of virtual choir concerts.