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Ööbik Sings Throughout Pandemic

juuni 3, 2022 Estonian Life No. 22 2022


“I love to sing in Ööbik because of the bonding I feel with my friends and the improved way I hear music, and because singing lowers stress and contributes to my overall mental and emotional well being.” says Mailis.

This global pandemic has not dampened T.E.A.S. Ööbik choir singers’ enthusiasm. In March 2020 when it became clear that singing at Tartu College every week was not going to be possible, the choir switched to virtual practices and has continued to practice regularly throughout 2020 and 2021. It took some trial and error to create an effective and workable virtual program, and it quickly became clear that singing together, out loud and in real-time, was not going to work. We shared much laughter with these early attempts: an out of sync cacophony of singers! Instead, we muted ourselves and sang along with pre-recorded songs that we had been working on. What worked well in this virtual environment were our body and our vocal exercises. Following the lead of our conductor Roosi Lindau, we stretched our bodies, practiced breathing improvement techniques, and kept our vocal chords limber with fun and varied singing exercises. Members appreciated the opportunity to sing in any manner no matter the mode: “Personally, I always feel much more lighthearted and uplifted from seeing and singing with choir members. Covid 19 has imposed a devastating isolation on all of us for nearly two years and the fact that Ööbik has helped us maintain contact with live music and other singers has been a wonderful boon to our sanity” says Maret. “And without the pressure of performances, we have greater freedom to experiment with new and different materials.”

In September 2021, we had the opportunity to sing in person again, initially outside. What a joy to see and talk with members, mask to mask! Some of our rehearsals were held on the picturesque Brickworks property where passersby gave us nods of approval and applause. When the evenings got dark and cold, we moved inside our home at Tartu College. Protocols were in place for safety (vaccinations, masks, distancing, modified agenda) for singers who wanted to participate in person, while others participated virtually with the ability to not just watch/hear our conductor, but to also hear the choir singing in the hall. Notably, our voices improved quickly and it was energizing to learn new songs together in this familiar way. Roosi applauds that “our juhatus, enthusiastically led by Maris-Ann, has been a tremendous support – coming up with innovative ideas and having such a “can-do” attitude, while following COVID protocols. The singers were always ready to try new ideas and with their feedback we were able to make our rehearsals successful and fun!”

The new year of 2022 has sent us back to our screens as we await the next phase of safer socialization. New ideas are planned for virtual practices and we are encouraged by our members to keep our efforts to sing our way out of the pandemic. Kaarina notes that “the virtual rehearsals have been a wonderful way of keeping us connected and our spirits and our voices limber. Singers who chose to continue with virtual when in-person returned for a season, what a gift it was to hear our colleagues' voices and their progress, and to appreciate how incredibly flexible and inspiring our conductor, Roosi Lindau, has been throughout the pandemic.” We hope it won’t be too long before we can all gather at Ööbik’s next Simmaree performance where we can meet each other again and sing together in strong and enthusiastic voices.

Contact: Maris-Ann Vanaselja

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