” Yes, we’ve stopped rehearsing since March 11th. I’m waiting for permission to resume our rehearsals! We are supposed to make a recording at the beginning of July.The activities of the OPPB choir ended on Thursday, March 12, almost 3 months already!
We were to perform 7 concerts of Rossini’s Little Solemn Mass this month; all have been cancelled.
In the absence of rehearsals, we sent the scores for the June programme, the singers are all sight-readers. One of the singing teachers sent technical sheets to guide them in their personal work. Every week, we give each other news, links to share and send little messages to our intermittent stage managers who are with us throughout the year. We were lucky enough to make a video of the choir before the lockdown. It was finalized in mid-March and sent to them. It was a beautiful moment but from a distance; a quartet from the orchestra proposed to work with one singer from the ONPL. There is a bond between the orchestra and the choir.The idea of 70 of us “making music” together is no longer possible. I find it hard to imagine everyone at home with earphones. For me it’s better than doing nothing at all, but it’s not music. It’s just a technological experience. The choir of the Pays de la Loire National Orchestra is made up of 70 singers; it’s a symphonic choir that also sings a capella or with piano when the programming allows it. “
Valérie Fayet.
Choir conductor of the ONPL
