After being at the heart of the pandemic, healthcare professionals in Derry are looking forward to enjoying a "refresh" at the first in-person Altnagelvin Hospital Choir rehearsals since March 2020.
Dr Neil Black, a Consultant Physician at Altnagelvin Hospital, spoke to MyDerry about the importance of these workplace choirs.
Chairperson of the Altnagelvin Hospital Choir and a committee member of the Irish Doctors Choir, Dr Black participated in online workshops and rehearsals with the Irish Doctors Choir and is looking forward to reconvening the Altnagelvin Hospital Choir this week.
He said: "We had to stop our rehearsals for the Altnagelvin Hospital Choir at the beginning of the pandemic. With the mix of working healthcare professionals and those who have retired and may be more vulnerable, we could not risk in-person rehearsals.
"Altnagelvin Hospital Choir is really important as a refresh for healthcare professionals. I have really missed the weekly rehearsal of the choir. We would always be tired come Thursday and you would go to the choir session and would always come out brighter, less tired and more energetic.
"It was something mindful, you could forget about everything else going on. The pandemic was different, it was relentless. At least before Covid, you had a release of pressure from the working environment but with rehearsals stopped during the pandemic it just went on and on."
Dr Black participated in online classes and workshops with the Irish Doctors Choir, which brought voices together from across Ireland.
During the pandemic the choir participated in a number of fundraisers, raising almost €3,000 for a new family room in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin and €9,000 for MSF Ireland.
Dr Black: "It was wonderful, although we wanted it to be in person, seeing faces on Zoom was great, people were being kept connected, you were so glad to see people.
"We did some vocal coaching sessions as well. It was really encouraging and helped with that weekly fix I was missing. There was something to achieve with the fundraising efforts. There was a lot of preparation and it was completely new, singing on your own and having to listen to it back. That was really challenging.
"It brought some normality back and it was enjoyable putting the videos together. There was real satisfaction watching them put together, especially with the professional video. It was incredibly emotive. "
Both the Irish Doctors Choir and the Altnagelvin Hospital Choir are preparing for their first in-person rehearsals in line with updated restrictions.
Dr Black discussed how it feels knowing they can finally resume their practice.
He said: "It will be the new normal in a sense with new precautions to keep everyone safe. We are working with using an online link to connect people who still do not want feel comfortable joining in person.
"We at the Altnagelvin Hospital Choir cannot wait to get back on Thursday. The Irish Doctors choir will also be meeting soon adhering to precautions.
"The Altnagelvin Hospital Choir will have a Christmas carol concert currently planned for December 18. We will also be doing an ICU memorial service performance in November, it will be streamed and recorded in memory of those we lost in ICU over the last year.
"I think going back, people really appreciate what we lost during lockdown. We really missed the company of singing alongside people, how it refreshes your mind, how it feels to achieve something with other people. That is what matters. We are all just looking forward to re-joining with people again."
In conjunction with this, the city is preparing for the long-awaited return of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, where the streets of Derry will once again be filled with singing voices.
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