Update on VITA quartet (3rd place Region 26 quartet)

As with every singing group, VITA has not been able to get together and sing in our usual rehearsal spaces (our homes) for nearly a year now.  But, like many, we have found ways of getting together, even if we are at a distance.  As our bass, Rebecca, lives in Blaine and the border crossing was closed, we were fortunate to meet in Peace Arch park, which straddles the Canada/US border for a physically distanced get together and sing, much to the delight of others in the park.  Unfortunately, not soon after that the park was closed to Canadians to visit so those visits had to stop.

So, we carried on with Zoom meetings, which was great to chat with but not good for singing together. And then our tenor, Jackie, moved over to Vancouver Island at the end of September, and with an essential travel ban in place she could no longer come back to the Mainland to get together with lead, Lisa and baritone, Barbara.

But again, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Jamulus entered the picture.  Jamulus is open-sourced software which enables musicians to rehearse and perform music over the internet, pretty close to real time.  Yea!  Problem solved, right?  Well nearly.  Jamulus does require some additional equipment and a lot of patience.  An ethernet or hardwire connection helps reduce internet delay, good headphones with an attached microphone works well, and setting of sound and accounting for internet delay can create delays in getting rehearsal started.  But with help from Lisa, who attended a Jamulus session and Rebecca, who got us set-up, we have persevered.  

We recorded a Christmas song on Jamulus for the Westcoast Harmony chorus Christmas party and are learning a new song together.  Stay tuned!!

Here’s the link to the Christmas song: https://youtu.be/kPg0M2SLH4s