Support our London Singing Community
Help us continue to support the well-being of our London singing community
& keep them connected during the devastating effects of Covid-19.
WEST END MUSICAL CHOIR
How we've been affected by Covid-19
As a large community based choir we have been impacted dramatically. We went from thirteen venues across London to zero as the total lock down prevented in person gatherings. Prior to lock down we had over 1200 members (18-90 in age, across all backgrounds, and we are inclusive) and this fell by over 50% within a very short space of time and continues to fall even more.
We put 50% of our PAYE staff on the government furlough scheme and cancelled 80% of contractor employment (West End Musical Directors and performers). Our revenue has fallen by over 70% as in addition to fewer members we have been stopped from providing workshops here in the UK and at Disneyland Paris. We now have four in-person rehearsals each week.
At considerable expense and time we have made sure each venue is covid compliant. We adapted by also rehearsing online. The challenge with singing as a group together online is the delay (latency) that means singers are out of sync when singing together. To overcome this, initially we had produced our own pre-recorded rehearsals with professional singers prior to lock down, to then all play out together and sing-along with at home. We have now invested into 5G live streaming rehearsals so that singers can sing along in real time. We have purchased cameras, lighting, tripods, 5G contracts, production software, playout software and trained ourselves in the operation of this equipment with the help of volunteers within our singing community. Using technology such as ECAMM Live, Loopback audio virtual Mic and platforms such as Facebook and Zoom; we continue to positively impact our singers and their family and friends.
SOME OF OUR SINGER'S TESTIMONIALS
SINGER
"Thank you for making me believe again... thank you all from the bottom of my very emotional but happy heart"
SINGER
“Just a wee note to say that oh my gosh - I can’t get over how good the virtual rehearsals were this week! After being on so many Zoom calls/Teams calls/FaceTimes over the last 6 months that have gone glitchy, I’m not sure what I was expecting but WEMC have 100% raised the bar on the Zoom game! I know a lot of hard work has gone into making this work, so just wanted to say a wee thank you for making it so inclusive, regardless of whether you were in the room or at home.”
SINGER
“Really great news as the return to in-person rehearsals has been such a fantastic thing in the middle of a testing and uncertain time. It's testament to all your hard work and ingenuity over the last few months that we are able to continue in person like this, so another huge thank you for your perseverance and resourcefulness in a turbulent year! Wrapping up the first song this week was hugely enjoyable and the recording Maxine took of our run through on Tuesday was most pleasing to see/hear.”
