2021 – 2023 
When Covid entered our lives in 2020 I guess few of us would have imagined that we’d still be feeling its impact a year on!
Life around us finally began to unfurl as the world started to negotiate the way forward and a return to some form of normality. However, given the nature of our Choir and the extreme vulnerability of many members we adopted extreme caution, opting to observe and see how others faired, as they returned to pre-Covid activities.
I admit to having watched with envy, as Choirs across the land began to return to in-person rehearsals and we continued in our endeavours to stay connected through letters and cards / calls and texts. My heart ached for our return, knowing how sorely missed the Choir had been: I longed to see all our lovely members and once again hear voices raised in joyful song but my head knew we were right to wait and see how things played out!
The situation was kept under regular review until finally with every conceivable precaution in place including temporarily relocating to a larger rehearsal space / social distancing / masks / screens / Lateral Flow Tests …… we were ready, if somewhat apprehensive, to return after 18 months apart!
That long-awaited reunion was wonderful, though the actual experience of singing under such conditions wasn’t! It also proved to be the case that a substantial proportion of the membership didn’t feel ready to return, which we fully understood. We always take a break over the festive period – the only time we do, with the exception of Bank Holiday Mondays, so it was a natural time to reflect on the learning from the previous 7 weeks and review any available data etc. enabling us to make informed decisions when mapping the way forward in 2022.
Unfortunately the following year fate dealt us an unexpected and devastating blow, when health concerns necessitated our Musical Director – Helen – relinquish all her choral activities. Though Helen entered our life in autumn 2019 bringing a wealth of skill and experience along with her bright, breezy personality and caring disposition, with the onset of Covid and subsequent lockdowns we had had all too little time to
gether: it was heartbreaking both for her and for us that she should have to step away from something she so clearly loved! We will always be indebted to Helen for helping us through one of the most challenging times many will ever have known. As a token of our appreciation and a reminder of her time as our Musical Director we sent her a lovely necklace: we hope when she wears it she’s reminded of all the people whose life she has touched and enriched through her wonderful gift of music bringing so much happiness at what can be such an incredibly challenging time for many members.
Thus began the search for Helen’s replacement! For us it’s never just about finding a Musical Director – and Lord knows that in itself can be difficult enough – it’s about someone with a passion to be the MD of Bolton Cancer Voices; someone who understands and supports our ethos: whilst professional skills and experience are a prerequisite, the necessary personal attributes to inspire, guide and challenge us to be the best we can be in a fun and inclusive way, are equally important. With two truly exceptional previous post holders the bar and expectations were set extremely high!
Sadly during this time more tough decisions had to be faced resulting in the cancellation of our long-planned 10th Birthday concert, scheduled for June 2022. We also faced many ‘what if ….’ conversations, needing to face the reality that despite our best endeavours this could mark the Choir’s demise! But determination not to lose what we’d worked so hard to build, along with the knowledge of how much the Choir has meant to members, cemented the determination that neither failure nor compromise were acceptable options!
We were honoured to receive a good number of enquiries and interview a number of potential candidates: we thank everyone who showed their interest in joining us. There’s no doubt that the search proved long, arduous, challenging, frustrating and heartbreaking but finally another twist of fate affected our introduction to Katie Geelan, who was to subsequently become our next Musical Director.
Katie is an accomplished musician, performer and music educationalist with 30 years’ experience. She is well-use to wielding the baton in front of Choirs and striving to get the best from them. Like Helen, she’s a gifted violinist; with a further string to her bow in that she also plays the piano. Very much in-demand, we’re privileged she’s agreed to become part of the team.
After so much uncertainty and a great deal of planning, on Monday 4th September 2023, 15 existing members and 13 new members came together in an utterly fantastic and moving first rehearsal: I don’t think any of us stopped smiling the whole night and I could still hear the smiles in people’s voices the following day when I did a ring-around! From the moment Katie stepped before us it was obvious it’d been the right appointment, worth the wait and the protracted search: an instant hit, she’s proved to be the perfect fit for us.
Integral to continuity and a smooth transition to working under our new Musical Director has been the continued support of our long-standing Accompanist – Mark – an absolute star in our eyes: professional and fun, we are truly fortunate to have such a strong musical team.
Being able to return to our usual rehearsal venue felt like coming home and has made a big difference: we’re immensely grateful to all concerned that we have been permitted to do so.
Credit where credit’s due – this period cannot be chronicled without reference to our wonderful Treasurer – Emma – who throughout our time apart has continued to work on our behalf: she does so much behind the scenes, what you see is the mere tip of the iceberg, as they say! I can’t impress on you enough how important her role is and how very lucky we are to have a professional of Emma’s calibre supporting us.
We spent the remainder of the year focusing on settling in and getting use to singing together: the next step will be to start planning events and accepting invitations for appearances in the New Year.
As has become tradition, we ended the year with our annual Christmas meal at The Crofters, where nothing is ever too much trouble: this year not only celebrating the festive season but also our belated 10th Birthday. With a prize for the Best Dressed Head – a Nutcracker – what else: Secret Santa pressies; a delicious meal; great company and a sing-a-long – thanks Guy for generously dashing down to play for us – it was a totally fab night, much-enjoyed by all.
With reinvigorated optimism, a strong team in the driving seat and an enthusiastic, growing membership, we excitedly look forward to 2024: may it be filled with breathtaking opportunities and leave precious memories.
