Making music together, be it in choirs, orchestras, string quartets, close harmony groups, or wind bands, is such an integral part of life at OHS that our students and staff were never going to let lockdown get in their way.
In recent weeks, video conferencing apps have suddenly become such a big part of all our lives. But while they’re great for catching up with friends or family, when you’re trying to use them to sing or play together, the results can be mixed.
“The internet gives us some tools to be able to carry on” – Peter Foster
Some of our smaller musical groups have managed to carry on with online rehearsals, but producing a performance that an audience can see and hear requires a more concerted technological effort. Recently this has involved girls recording their parts individually, before editing and mixing the results into the final product.
One such example of this will be our entry for the first-ever ‘GDST-Vision’. On 22nd May, OHS will join another 25 GDST schools and academies to compete to win the first ‘GDST-Vision’ event, the GDST’s replacement for this year’s cancelled Eurovision Song Contest.
On a more day-to-day level, many of our visiting music teachers have been embracing technology to deliver vocal and instrumental lessons online. Thanks to their efforts, musical learning has by and large been able to continue uninterrupted. We even hear rumours that lockdown has allowed girls to find a bit more time to practice!
