'I am passionate about using singing to unlock young people’s potential'

Q: How do you think Covid has changed the approach to singing in schools and what impact has it had on music making?

At the start of the pandemic there was much fear and trepidation around the safety of singing. At times it felt utterly disproportionate that adults could go into a rowdy pub and shout over each other and in the same breath, children were banned from singing a nursery rhyme in the playground! In my experience schools became extremely hard to engage with for external providers, which sometimes included dropping singing/specialist music teachers who were not school employees (i.e. provided by the local Hub).

Thus, children's musical and creative education was stripped back as a lot of emphasis was put on maths and English in the recovery curriculum. My perception now, nearly two years later, is that there is more confidence in trying to enable children to continue their childhoods and include the arts.

Some schools have really grasped the power of the arts to help young people make sense of the pandemic. It is encouraging to see some rebuild their schools with providers such as The Voices Foundation making more and more schools 'Singing Schools'. However, this is not the picture everywhere, sadly, and many children will be regularly going without the life-giving joy of singing and music making. 

Q: What impact do you think the pandemic has had on music students and young singers?

After 72 weeks of choir online with the LYC, I was apprehensive about how the young people would be on return to in-person rehearsals. I was wrong to be so.

From the moment they started singing they were ready to give their all, to be refreshed with the sheer joy of making music together, to experience that buzz of the sound of their individual voices on mass again.

They didn't want to sing with masks on (though we did strictly adhere to all Covid recommendations and mitigations), they wanted to be present and really 'in the room' once again. I observed that the social side of being in choir was slightly slower to rebuild than the music side, though inevitably the two go hand in hand.

Q: Has the lack of touring been felt by young ensembles?

Some of my best life memories as a teenager are from choir tours, both with The Berkshire Youth Choir and The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain with whom I had the privileged of touring Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, America, Europe and islands as far flung as Western Samoa! There is nothing like it. Sadly four of our LYC choirs have still not been able to have even a concert for 2 years now as our big events just before Christmas were once again cancelled due to the wave of Omicron.

I think there will be a lot of choirs and ensembles who will have really missed out on the chance to tour. It enables a very special and intensive bonding experience for teenagers, and for many who might not otherwise get a chance to leave their local town; it can be eye opening and a huge privilege, like it was for me as a young person. 

I am passionate about using singing to unlock young people’s potential and dedicated to making singing opportunities available to all children. I have a particular passion for working with children who face multiple barriers in life.

* Rachel grew up in the award-winning Berkshire Youth Choir and toured the world as a member of The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. She was Vocal Director for In Harmony Opera North and established the Opera North Children’s Chorus. After being an Assistant Director and Conductor with The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain for many years, in 2012 Rachel founded the London Youth Choirs (LYC) - https://www.londonyouthchoirs.com/.

In 2018 Rachel was made Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, in recognition of her contribution to choral music and work with young people.

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