Covid sings is an online singaround that currently takes place on the first Tuesday of each month. Hosted by Fay, Jenna and myself, we meet in a zoom room and share songs, much as we would in a pub or club. Around 30-50 singers usually join in and we have regular singers from Britain, Ireland, the USA and Canada. The event is also streamed live to our Facebook page so that people can watch and comment alongside. Although a new idea at the start of the first lockdown, Covid sings has become a real community and it is still something I look forward to taking part in each month. Many participants feel the same, and it has been a real life-line for singers who have felt isolated during the pandemic.
When the first lockdown came into force, Fay approached the Trad Song Tuesday team with the idea of creating an online singaround. While many professional musicians had taken to sharing content on social media, we considered the fact that singers who go out to sessions every week may not have wanted to follow suit, meaning that they suddenly had nowhere to go to share a song. Creating a supportive, online space for singing meant that people would still be able to experience a connection to others in the unprecedented and unusual times we were faced with, and so, Covid Sings came to be.
Initially, we held the singaround on a weekly basis, meeting every Tuesday night at 8pm. The first few sessions were a bit of a learning curve as we worked out the format of the evenings, including how to ensure we didn’t get gatecrashed, which caused a bit of a ruckus one night. As the weeks progressed, the singaround started to become a highly anticipated event, with people regularly commenting on how much they enjoyed the opportunity to sing and meet with likeminded people online. We have now been running the singaround successfully for over a year and we still have a regular group of singers from near and far logging on each month.
One of the things that has struck me the most from being a part of Covid Sings, is how much I feel like I have gotten to know the people that take part in the sessions. I often forget that I haven’t met the majority of the participants in real life, as they all seem so familiar to me now. It really does seem like a community of friends, and during the challenging year we have faced, sharing songs with them all has been uplifting and comforting. Covid Sings has also had an effect on me in other ways. Late last year, the group received the news that a man who had become a regular contributor had sadly passed away. He was a brilliant songwriter and his voice and songs had really moved me, week after week. His work has been shared with us all, and I know it will carry on, but I often think about how I may never of had the chance to hear his music if it had not been for our sessions. For me, this is a really pertinent example of how special Covid Sings has become, not only to me but I'm sure, to all of us that take part.
In another aspect, holding sessions online has meant that as a whole, they have become more accessible for people who cannot normally attend in person. The pandemic left us with no choice but to be creative and find new ways of doing things, and as a result, sharing music has become more inclusive. This has opened up many discussions about how to ensure this carries on into the future, something which of course, is extremely positive. The move online has also meant that musicians can join in with sessions anywhere, at any time. Another wonderful thing about Covid Sings, is having people joining us on Zoom from around the world. It is a truly international affair and it has been really interesting hearing and learning about songs from such a variety of different places.
Overall, there is no doubt that pandemic has been a testing time for everyone. As restrictions continue to ease, the thought of returning to our usual singarounds and clubs becomes less of a dream and more of a reality. However, I know I am not alone in saying the Covid Sings brought real joy to our lives during the endless weeks of lockdown and helped us stay connected to the music we were missing so much. The session continues on the first Tuesday of every month between 8-10pm. Everyone is welcome to join us and you can sign up to receive the links here
