Yesterday I attended a virtual Church meeting where the "congregation" was asked to actually sing the hymns. (I had expectations that this would feel better than just listening to or humming along.) The organist was wonderful and the conductor was plenty competent, but watching the songs unfold with everyone wearing masks was deflating, indeed. She conducted a very small group of people in the huge chapel, So, while we could tell that a few people were singing, we could not hear the singing let alone understand any of the words.
Where I should have been happy to sing along at home referring to my own hymnal for the words, the choir citizen in me was really missing singing en masse. And what I missed the most was seeing the lips of and facial expressions of the conductor. I wonder if I would have felt different if she had been allowed to direct without the mask --- even if she only mouthed the words.
The speakers were allowed to take off their masks while they delivered their talks. So, why not have the music leader conduct without the mask? As a choir conductor, I have spent a lifetime leading groups of singers MOSTLY just mouthing the words. It is very normal for a conductor to lead the singing without actually singing. But, even without singing, the conductor's job is to pull a performance out of the singers and guide the experience of the group.
I think we would have enjoyed the experience of singing virtually together much better yesterday had we watched a conductor who could have shown her facial expressions and at least "mouthed" to us the words!
Where I should have been happy to sing along at home referring to my own hymnal for the words, the choir citizen in me was really missing singing en masse. And what I missed the most was seeing the lips of and facial expressions of the conductor. I wonder if I would have felt different if she had been allowed to direct without the mask --- even if she only mouthed the words.
The speakers were allowed to take off their masks while they delivered their talks. So, why not have the music leader conduct without the mask? As a choir conductor, I have spent a lifetime leading groups of singers MOSTLY just mouthing the words. It is very normal for a conductor to lead the singing without actually singing. But, even without singing, the conductor's job is to pull a performance out of the singers and guide the experience of the group.
I think we would have enjoyed the experience of singing virtually together much better yesterday had we watched a conductor who could have shown her facial expressions and at least "mouthed" to us the words!
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