Open Night 2021

On By johnmccollow

Make 2021 the year you take your singing beyond the confines of the driving seat of your car or your shower stall. The Serenata Singers, a community choir based in The Gap, is holding an Open Night at 7.30pm on Monday 22 February in the auditorium of The Gap Uniting Church, 1050 Waterworks Road. This is an excellent, COVID-safe opportunity to learn more about the choir, observe and join in a rehearsal, and meet the choir members.

Can’t make the open night? Don’t worry, the choir welcomes new members at any time.

After a rough 2020, which saw the choir cancelling all performances due to the Corona virus pandemic, the choir is looking to bounce back strongly in 2021. The choir, which sings a variety of popular, traditional, spiritual and show tunes, had entered 2020 with exciting plans and high expectations. In addition to a packed concert schedule, a special 50th anniversary reunion function was planned and a special “history page” was added to its website. Then, just as rehearsals were getting into full swing, the COVID crisis hit.

The Serenata Singers were particularly hard hit for several reasons. Choir singing is a particularly risky group activity during a pandemic and there have been a number of cases of COVID outbreaks in choirs in the USA. Furthermore, a significant number of choir members are in the “high risk” category due to their age. Finally, the choir generally performs for people in retirement and aged care facilities – visits to which were, of course, curtailed.

But you can’t keep a good choir down. Throughout the year members were kept informed and entertained through a weekly email newsletter, fortnightly Zoom rehearsals were instituted and, late in the year, COVID-safe “live” rehearsals re-commenced. Choir members finally got a performance opportunity when they participated in Christmas carols at the Samford Christmas Markets.

The choir is looking forward to the future and expects to enter 2021 stronger than ever. If you can hold a tune and are interested in joining us, you would be most welcome.