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CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY: MUSIC APPEAL
The closure of churches, concert and rehearsal venues results in a total income loss for us of £10,000 each month. This comprises both cash donations and revenue generating events including our choir concerts, workshops and the Leeds International Organ Festival.
In response we are now asking for your urgent support. With your help we will be able to continue our full programme online with thousands of children each week. During the most challenging time of our recent history the need to nurture talent, raise aspirations and provide security and structure for our choir families and school communities is at its greatest – with your help we will not abandon the children we work with.
‘This is truly excellent work, and your call for us to increase, not diminish, music, education, community and charity is so encouraging.’
Tom Daggett, St Paul’s Cathedral
OUR RESPONSE TO THE LOCKDOWN
With churches and schools closed, many providers have ‘furloughed’ their entire music staff. At a time when children desperately need these musical and educational skills our approach is different: to adapt and retrain all staff to work effectively in the new online medium. Our message is ‘business as usual’; providing stability and reassurance in these uncertain and distressing times.
‘He absolutely loved the rehearsal! I was so happy to see him sitting quietly, listening totally engaged and didn’t want it to finish! I think the online lessons will benefit everyone, not only the boys, we all need something to keep us going especially in this difficult time. We are so grateful that you can continue to teach the children. Even though he can’t go out, he is at least happy that he can still learn to sing with you and continue to see his choir friends.’
Choir Parent
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Using the combined creative and technological skills of a diverse musical team we have been delivering our full 18 after-school choirs, School Singing Programme and Keyboard Training Programmes online since 26th March. We must continue to inspire our young musicians and provide stability and reassurance for children and families in these uncertain and distressing times.
Whilst we are all confined to our homes our online work is providing children with all the mental health benefits of structured learning, keeping them busy and engaged with a sense of routine. Families are telling us it is also a great help to them as a whole.
TAKING A NATIONAL LEAD
On 2nd April Diocese of Leeds Music organised a webinar called ‘Practical Approaches to Choir Rehearsals Online’ to share what we had learnt with other organisations. The 50 attendees included Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, HM Chapel Royal Windsor, Christ Church Oxford and King’s College Cambridge as well as choir directors from a diverse range of schools and colleges. Find out more >>
WITH YOUR HELP WE CAN
Please consider texting CHURCH MUSIC to 70500 to contribute £5 to the Music Coronavirus Emergency Appeal.
accompanying our fab @DOLMusic Schools Scholars at Leeds Cathedral, a very accomplished sound from these developing tenors and basses...and the essential coffee...
3Transformational school singing in West Yorks - despite Covid-19. @thomas_leech describes our work and challenges cathedrals to open access to their musical treasures @RachelReevesMP @FabianLeedsNE @RichardBurgon @hilarybennmp @TracyBrabin @chiggi @FionaMaddocks @tes
#ICYMI: Where else is it still accepted that an elite opportunity is available to a boy, but not a girl? Or accessible primarily to the 7% of privately educated children? @thomas_leech reflects on cathedral #choirs role in #artseducation https://bit.ly/3iVMF9h
@katharineparton @Paul_McCreesh @Stantclayton @sbsjcc @DOLMusic In fact - we regard the schools work as the centre, and the after-school opportunities as the add-on. You have to prioritise the foundations...
Year 6 really enjoyed their first singing session with @thomas_leech from @DOLMusic. Different than usual but lots of fun! #welovestanthonysclayton @bcw_cat @csptsa @CathEdService
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My voice is changing right now so I’m in this range where I can sing quite high or low, so I can either sing treble or tenor right now! When I sing it gives me more confidence in school and everywhere. The whole choir feels like a community and you get to meet lots of new people as well. My favourite pieces are some of the Glorias, I also like singing in other languages. 13 years old, Leeds Cathedral Senior Boys Choir
Merry Christmas! Tune in now to hear the fantastic Bradford Catholic Youth Choir sing Mass on BBC One!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000csln?fbclid=IwAR0ogvwOLxPBN-ThyyCgvvwRAyQ8-EoKCarbPYgcU9unVw1gIIjcYI...
BBC One - Christmas Day Eucharist, Christmas Morning from St Joseph's Catholic Church, Bradford
www.bbc.co.uk
A joyful celebration of Christmas, led by the Rev Christopher Angel.Today at Leeds Cathedral:
9.30 am Mass (Cantor)
11 am Solemn Mass (Boys)
Missa in Honorem SS Cordis, Andriessen
Hodie & This little babe, Britten
Deo gratias, Britten
I feel happy because it just lets all your emotions out. I like singing. My favourite thing about choir is singing, and I’m really excited for the BBC broadcast. We’ve been rehearsing for it since September, since we came back from the holidays. If you feel nervous about singing imagine it’s only you in the room and you’re singing to yourself. When I joined I was really nervous, but my sister was in the choir (she’s in Seniors now) and she helped me to sing. 10 years old, Bradford Junior Choir
An excellent BBC rehearsal this afternoon for Bradford Catholic Youth Choir...tune in tomorrow at 10am!