In the midst of a lockdown, the Lady Eleanor Holles School was faced with an onerous task: the challenge of putting on an entirely virtual Winer Concert, recognising the talent across each year group and assembling hundreds of hours of recordings, all whilst maintaining social distancing. From Trepak to Edith Piaf to The Greatest Showman, the extensive skill and undoubtable musical ability was celebrated in one gloriously compiled concert, serving as an enchanting acknowledgement of the considerable practice, diligence and collaboration of the musicians. So how did they pull it off?
For most, the current pandemic has meant making difficult sacrifices to ensure everyone’s safety in an effort to regain a sense of normality as soon as possible, an unfortunate reality which has become even more pertinent amidst a national lockdown. However, the Lady Eleanor Holles School was determined not to allow these unfortunate circumstances to hinder their annual Winter concert, a vibrant display of hard-work and talent showcasing the breadth of musicality and aptitude across all year groups. Inevitably, this year it was forced to take place in socially distanced year group bubbles, compiling hours of recordings from the Holles Singers to Senior Strings into one remarkable performance. When asked about the challenges of executing an entirely virtual concert, one student commented on the difficulty of “having to do multiple takes to get the video and sound good,” whilst another mentioned that “singing and playing with headphones on was challenging at first because it was unfamiliar, but we got used to it.” Despite the unavoidable complexity of assembling an entire performance online, the school successfully carried out an hour and a half of spectacularly performed videos and recordings, living up to its sensational and polished reputation.
For some, the understandable disappointment of not being able to perform live was, in fact, ultimately characterised by new and exciting opportunities to explore and make use of previously unfamiliar recording equipment. When asked about the advantages and benefits of a virtual concert, one participant’s response was swift and assured: “although it was sometimes a bit tedious to do retakes, I liked the fact that it was virtual as we could tweak the performance” she remarked, before adding that “this meant it was the best it possibly could be.” There is an obvious lesson to be learned within this in that during a time largely clouded by uncertainty and unease, there is always an opportunity for growth in an effort to adapt to the circumstances and overcome the challenges they entail.
During a period of low-spirits and unpredictability, LEH’s virtual winter concert has succeeded in creating a sense of normality and tradition as the Christmas holidays approach. In creating this sense of occasion, the school has offered something to look forward to during a largely dispiriting time, with one pupil reflecting that “it was nice to be able to send the concert video to other family members who would usually not be able to attend the live concert.”
