CHOIR members from around the Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge area are missing the ‘emotional uplift’ they get from singing together, a choral society chairman has said.

Members of the 80-strong Tyndale Choral Society came together to celebrate their choir’s 60th anniversary last week – but the Covid-19 lockdown meant they were forced to do it online via Zoom.

The choir last rehearsed together in person at Dursley Tabernacle in the first week in March.

At that point they switched to Zoom for their weekly rehearsals and have been rehearsing that way ever since.

“But the ‘out-of-sync’ effect you get online means there’s no real ensemble singing,” said the choir’s chairman, Magnus Carter.

“Everyone else has to be on ‘mute’ setting, so you are effectively singing to yourself.

“Our music director Ben Sawyer has done a great job of keeping rehearsals interesting and worthwhile, and at least we can see our friends on screen.”

Magnus said two thirds of the choir’s 80 members have stuck with it and attended Zoom rehearsals regularly.

“However, it’s been a deeply frustrating time,” he added.

“Many members have spoken to me about how much they’re missing the emotional uplift they get from singing in harmony together, and from the fellowship of the choir.

“I dread to think how much damage has been done to the wellbeing of our members.

“We may have kept them safe physically, but who knows about the long-term psychological effects?

“The choir takes a break from mid-December until late February. Given the advent of the vaccines, I’m really confident that we’ll be able to resume normal service sometime in the spring, and be ready to give our planned 2020 concerts in 2021.

“For the sake of our sanity, I hope I’m right.”