TWO choirs had the opportunity to meet and sing again since the start of the pandemic.

Members of Harmonia and Ryedale Voices, both from Malton, gathered at the field near Swinton Sports Hall and enjoyed singing together again.

The current coronavirus restrictions mean that amateur choirs cannot meet indoors in groups larger than six. However, the Government announced the green-light for choirs to rehearse outdoors in groups of up to 30.

Alison Davis, the musical director of both choirs, decided to arrange some outdoor sessions and contacted Swinton Sports Hall to see if they could use their field.

"I'm amazed that I still have so many singers after all this time,” she said.

“It just shows what singing together means to them and how important it is for them to get together. We have been rehearsing on Zoom, although due to the time lag all singers are muted throughout.

“When you cannot hear what the choir are doing, it's very difficult to run a constructive rehearsal.

“We had to rehearse in smaller groups as we're not permitted to have more than 30 singers at once."

A risk assessment had to be carried out by Alison to ensure that the outdoor sessions were safe, including two metres spacing around every singer, scanning a QR code and staggered arrivals and departure times.

"It was a lot of work, but well worth it to see hear their voices and to see much everyone enjoyed themselves,” added Alison.

Both choirs are hoping that restrictions will be lifted soon for amateur choirs so that they can rehearse indoors from September. Currently professional choirs can meet indoors, but the rules are different for non-professionals.

"It's frustrating when you see large groups of sports fans singing inside who are not social distancing,” said Alison.

“It has been widely reported that singing is good for wellbeing and the choirs provide a support network for many members.

“Those who attended the outdoor sessions said that it was fantastic to sing with others again and it gave them a much-needed boost."