Impending end for singing

The Swiss Music Council informs the media on December 3:

"Singing was practically banned at the end of October as part of stricter measures against the coronavirus, with a few exceptions. Now the Federal Council apparently wants to restrict singing even further. There is a great deal of anger and incomprehension among the associations affected.

When singing was effectively banned at the end of October, there was great consternation in the Swiss singing scene. Choirs in particular felt that they were being labeled as particularly dangerous sources of infection. The IG CHorama, the association of all choral organizations, had developed effective protection concepts in the summer to enable safe choir rehearsals and performances. Experience up to the end of October clearly showed that these concepts really do work.

Now, according to media reports, the Federal Council apparently wants to go one step further and ban singing outside the family circle altogether. This would mean that children and young people would also no longer be allowed to receive single lessons at elementary school, that even the priest would no longer be allowed to sing in church services or that singing lessons at music schools would also no longer be possible.

Until now, the choral scene has mainly been annoyed that the focus in the music sector has only been on singing, but now despair is slowly but surely spreading if further tightening measures actually come into force. This would also fully affect the area that is central to the future of singing: young talent. This includes singing lessons at elementary and music schools, which are an important element in promoting young talent.

The choral scene in Switzerland is doing its part to combat the pandemic with functioning protection concepts and disciplined implementation. It is therefore incomprehensible to them why, for example, playing football is still permitted for children and young people under 16, but singing for the same age group is not. This gives the impression of arbitrariness, as there are simply no substantiated facts to prove that singing is supposed to be more contagious than other activities when applying the protection concepts.

The choral scene was already hit in the heart at the end of October. Its representatives, whether lay, professional or educational, are therefore urging the Federal Council to refrain from any further-reaching measures and instead to finally involve the choral associations in the development of an exit strategy."