High Rate of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Due to Choir Practice in France at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To document the case of a high transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 generating a cluster linked to an indoor choir rehearsal hold at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in France. METHOD: Case study. Data were obtained via a questionnaire. RESULTS: Twenty-seven participants, including 25 singers, 1 conductor and 1 accompanist attended a choir practice on March 12, 2020. The practice was indoor and took place in a non ventilated space of 45 m2. No choir member reported having been symptomatic for COVID-19 between March 2 and March 12.The mean age of the participants was 66.9 (range 35-86) years. The secondary attack rate was 70%: 19/27 participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 from 1 to 12 days after the rehearsal with a median of 5.1 days. Thirty-six percent of the cases needed a hospitalization (7/19), and 21% (4/19) were admitted to an ICU. The index cases were asymptomatic and possibly multiple. CONCLUSION: In the absence of valid barrier measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission, indoor choir practice should be suspended during the SARSCoV-2 surging phases. Transmission of the virus among gatherings from asymptomatic cases is a crucial issue and a main challenge to COVID-19 control.

Choir Singers Without Rehearsals and Concerts? A Questionnaire Study on Perceived Losses From Restricting Choral Singing During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Choir singing is an activity that engages individuals all over the world with a broad demographic representation. Both qualitative and quantitative studies have examined the benefits of the activity but very few have examined the effects when someone loses access to it and stops singing. OBJECTIVES: Examining the governmental and organisational responses precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked what happens when a choir singer loses all of their routines associated with regular participation in choir singing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One national choir organization in Sweden (n = 3163) and one in Norway (n = 1881) were approached with a short survey. This comprised questions relating to the issue "what do you as a choir singer misses the most?" Each participant was asked to rate the importance of a number of elements that pertain to the experience of choir singing. RESULTS: The social aspect of singing emerged as having the strongest weight in terms of perceived loss that is, it was the element that the participants missed the most. Professional singers report that they miss the aesthetic experiences, flow, and all the physical aspects (physical training, voice training, and breathing training) to a greater degree as compared to reports from the amateurs. The importance of aesthetic experiences and physical components appeared to rise with increasing number of years that an individual had engaged with choir singing. CONCLUSION: In the Scandinavian setting, the social aspect has a stronger weight than the other components and this seemed to be more significant in Norway compared to Sweden.

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in the Context of Prevention Protocols, Utah, September-November 2021.

Group singing and playing of wind instruments increase COVID-19 transmission risk. After a pause during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square organization (hereinafter, Choir) resumed musical events in September 2021 with prevention protocols, including required vaccination and pre-event rapid antigen testing. We investigated potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission at Choir events during September 21-November 7, 2021. We interviewed COVID-19-positive members (hereinafter, case-members) and identified members exposed when a case-member attended a Choir event during his or her infectious period. We compared whole genome sequencing results to assess the genetic relatedness of available SARS-CoV-2 specimens obtained from case-members. We identified 30 case-members through pre-event testing (n = 10), self-reported positive test results (n = 18), and a review of Utah's disease surveillance system (n = 2). All 30 case-members reported symptoms; 21 (70%) were women and 23 (77%) received a positive test result by nucleic acid amplification test. No hospitalizations or deaths were reported. We identified 176 test-eligible exposed members from 14 instances of case-members attending events during their infectious periods. All were tested at least once 2 to 14 days after exposure: 74 (42%) by rapid antigen test only (all negative) and 102 (58%) by nucleic acid amplification test (4 positive, 97 negative, and 1 equivocal). Among viral sequences available from 15 case-members, the smallest single-nucleotide polymorphism distance between 2 sequences was 2, and the next-smallest distance was 10. The lack of disease detected in most exposed members suggests that minimal, if any, transmission occurred at Choir events. When community COVID-19 incidence is high, prevention protocols might help limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission during group musical activities.

The positive effects of online group singing on psycho-physiological variables during the COVID-19 pandemic-A pilot randomized controlled trial.

The psychological variables that were particularly influenced by social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic-stress, loneliness, social participation, and well-being-correspond closely to variables that can also be influenced by music. The present study is a pilot randomized controlled trial examining the effects of online group singing on psycho-physiological variables during the pandemic. Over 4 weeks, an online singing group sang together once a week, for 1 h, under the guidance of a professional voice coach. In a first control group, participants also met for 60 min per week but only discussed and exchanged personal experiences about music. A second control condition consisted of a waiting list group. Across all variables studied (positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, stress, loneliness, social participation, self-efficacy, and body perception), positive effects were revealed in the singing group and in the discussion group, but not in the waiting list group. The effects of the variables self-efficacy, social participation, loneliness, and life satisfaction were markedly stronger in the singing group than in the discussion group. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of group singing on a number of psycho-physiological variables, which can be used profitably in and outside of times of crisis, in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Effects of Online Choir or Mindfulness Interventions on Auditory Perception and Well-Being in Middle- and Older-Aged Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Previous work suggests that both choir and mindfulness training may improve well-being and auditory skills in older adults. This randomized control trial investigated the effects of a 10-week online choir or mindfulness program on speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. We collected multiple measures of auditory perception and attention, and multiple measures of socioemotional well-being in adults (N = 61) aged 50–65. We observed that both interventions improved SIN perception in high-noise conditions, decreased anxiety, and increased global well-being, mindfulness, and self-transcendence. Choir participants, compared to their own performance, showed improvements in additional noise conditions of the SIN task relative to mindfulness participants. Choir training produced greater advantages than mindfulness training in reducing state anxiety and improving melodic interval discrimination. These findings provide preliminary evidence for improvements in selected well-being and auditory measures as a result of online singing and mindfulness interventions in middle-aged and older adults in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. © The Author(s) 2022.

Rethinking early music in a time of isolation

Through the covid-19 pandemic, the choir of St Wulfram's Church, Grantham has approached elaborate Tudor polyphony via digital, virtual and hybrid methods. Remote music production devolves responsibility to individuals within a choir. It reframes trust dynamics among choir members, and between singers and their director. This helped singers to encounter polyphony in a new way while isolated from one another, rethinking repertory and re-evaluating their understanding of this period in music history. Re-creating historical performance factors by new means generated intriguing results. As in-person singing has gradually returned for parish church choirs, members have developed new confidence in singing polyphonic music.

How Safe is Singing Under Pandemic Conditions? - CO2-Measurements as Simple Method for Risk Estimation During Choir Rehearsals.

OBJECTIVES: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced choirs to pause or at least to restrict rehearsals and concerts. Nevertheless, an uncertainty about the risks of infection while singing remains, especially with regard to distances, duration of singing, number of singers and their positions in the room, size of the room as well as ventilation strategies. Based on the assumption that CO2 is a suitable indicator for the exhaled aerosols in a room, it is the aim of this study to deduce recommendations for a choir rehearsal with a minimum risk of infection. METHODS: During two choir rehearsals in a typical, nonventilated classroom, we installed 30 CO2 sensors, which allow spatial and temporal evaluation of the CO2 dispersion during singing. Various singing and ventilation phases were applied and the rates of CO2 increase during singing as well as its decrease during ventilation phases were evaluated and compared for different scenarios. RESULTS: The measurements reveal a linear relation between the duration of singing, size of the room and number of persons. For our size of the room of 200 m3 the average CO2 increase is 1.83 ppm/min per person. Masks or pure breathing without singing do - in contrast to aerosol dispersion - not influence the rate of CO2 increase. CO2 disperses fast and homogeneously on horizontal planes. However, a vertical layering with a maximum CO2 concentration is observed near the ceiling. Shock ventilation shows the largest CO2 decrease within the first 5 min, after 10 min of ventilation the outside base concentration of 400 ppm is reached again. CONCLUSION: The evaluated relations allow to calculate safe singing times for a defined number of singers and size of the room until a critical threshold of 800 ppm is reached. Furthermore, in order to monitor the actual CO2 concentration during choir rehearsal, just one CO2 sensor is representative for the air quality and CO2 concentration of the whole room and thus considered sufficient. For an early warning, it should be installed near the ceiling. Direct singing into a sensor should be avoided. A ventilation time of just 5 min is recommended which represents a compromise between strong CO2 reduction and still sufficient room temperature during winter time.

Music Event Tourism as a Means to Encourage Local Travel: The Case of the World Choir Games, South Africa

Events offer destinations the opportunity to showcase unique local resources and despite the challenges posed to this niche market, it can serve as part of post-COVID-19 recovery. Music events present experiences centred around unique local culture and serve the trend toward growth in domestic tourism. However, there is a dearth of literature on music event tourism from the Continent despite Africa being known for its rich cultures and popularity of music. Although a globally popular musical style, choir events are also underrepresented in the literature. This article describes local spectator segments of the World Choir Games held in South Africa, a first for the African continent, to identify the factors that drive positive perceptions of the host as a music event tourism destination. Data was collected from 350 spectators and segmentation carried out using cluster analysis. Results indicated two groups of spectators: Avid Exploring Supporters and Experienced Particular Supporters. Though the groups differ in motivations and experiences, both can contribute to sustaining this niche © 2022 AJHTL /Author(s)

"Easy to join in your pyjamas": benefits and barriers of online science engagement at Australia's 2020 National Science Week

In 2020, National Science Week events shifted online in response to Australian COVID-19 restrictions. Our research captures this rapid pivot from in-person to online science events, exploring experiences through audience and presenter questionnaires, and follow-up interviews. We examine characteristics of audiences for online science events, benefits and barriers of these events, and opportunities for online engagement. Key benefits were ease of attendance, new experiences enabled online, and greater control and flexibility. Lack of social interaction, technology issues, and audience reliability were identified as barriers. Our research suggests online events operate in a different sphere to in-person events and informs the delivery of engaging online experiences.

Group singing for health and wellbeing in the Republic of Ireland: the first national map.

AIMS: (1) To catalogue and map all singing for health and wellbeing groups in the Republic of Ireland (ROI); (2) determine how they prioritise health outcomes; (3) understand what they consider success; and (4) identify gaps in provision. METHODS: A novel mixed-methods survey was distributed electronically through SING Ireland (the Choir Association of Ireland), artsandhealth.ie, and to 2736 potential stakeholders with links to singing for health and wellbeing and singing on social prescription (SSP) from October 2020 to April 2021. Thematic analysis was used to analyse four open-ended survey questions. RESULTS: A total of 185 singing for health and wellbeing groups were identified, with varied representation in each of the ROI's 26 counties. 35 groups were noted to have links to SSP. Gaps in provision for clinical and individual populations and for SSP were identified. Six themes related to the success of group singing for health and wellbeing programmes were determined: fostering and funding social and community connections; the people and the approach; enjoyment and atmosphere; musical and personal growth, programmatic structure and musical content; and the impact of Covid. CONCLUSION: The first-ever national mapping of group singing for health and wellbeing in the ROI, and one of few internationally, this study may serve as a roadmap for gathering information about existing singing for health and wellbeing provision and identifying geographical and clinical gaps internationally. Recommendations are included for future research to address gaps in provision, explore the feasibility of integrating SSP more widely and for further public health investment.

MUSICOVID-19: When the world paused but singing continued

The COVID-19 pandemic was unexpected and changed most aspects of our lives in a very short period;it led to surprising and unexpected experiences and changes for most people. To cope with these changes and hardship, Italians turned to songs as a medium of emotional and communicative expression. The songs that resounded from the windows, balconies, and homes of families came from the past and the present, connecting generations and serving as a medium to strengthen people's individual and collective resilience. This study offers a reflection of qualitative research using a phenomenological approach on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practical musical experience of local communities from a Transformative, Lifelong, and Intergenerational Learning perspective. Purposeful sampling for this study was conducted through invitations to choral-and music associations for families to volunteer to participate in the study. Of the more than 30 families who volunteered, 82 individuals from 15 families in the provinces of Emilia Romagna (n=50) and South Tyrol (n=32), Italy, best met the sampling criteria. The methodology relied on semi-structured interviews as a research tool, accompanied by a thematic analysis of the narratives according to the aforementioned perspectives. The results show that participants used communal singing and music-making as important forms of helping, caring and sharing. This demonstrates the positive role of shared music-making and singing in improving wellbeing and promoting various forms of learning during social isolation COVID-19.

How can I keep from singing? The effects of COVID-19 on the emotional wellbeing of community singers during early stage lockdown in the United States

This study investigates the emotional wellbeing of community choral musicians during the early lockdown stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In an effort to understand participant wellbeing and document lived experiences in rapidly changing circumstances, the researchers gathered quantitative and qualitative data from almost 400 self-identified musicians in May-June 2020. Responses from community choir members indicated decreased wellbeing as a result of cancelled rehearsals and performances, unfamiliar online musicking practices and loss of community. Other themes included sadness, worry and grief concerning separation from fellow ensemble members and, in the case of ageing choristers, fear that they might not sing with others again in their lifetimes. Ultimately, this article sheds light on the complexity and necessity of sustaining community choirs during the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing the decreased wellbeing of singers as they were isolated in an effort to prevent viral spread through aerosolized means.

Effects of surgical masks on aerosol dispersion in professional singing.

BACKGROUND: In the CoVID-19 pandemic, singing came into focus as a high-risk activity for the infection with airborne viruses and was therefore forbidden by many governmental administrations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of surgical masks regarding the spatial and temporal dispersion of aerosol and droplets during professional singing. METHODS: Ten professional singers performed a passage of the Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode of Joy" in two experimental setups-each with and without surgical masks. First, they sang with previously inhaled vapor of e-cigarettes. The emitted cloud was recorded by three cameras to measure its dispersion dynamics. Secondly, the naturally expelled larger droplets were illuminated by a laser light sheet and recorded by a high-speed camera. RESULTS: The exhaled vapor aerosols were decelerated and deflected by the mask and stayed in the singer's near-field around and above their heads. In contrast, without mask, the aerosols spread widely reaching distances up to 1.3 m. The larger droplets were reduced by up to 86% with a surgical mask worn. SIGNIFICANCE: The study shows that surgical masks display an effective tool to reduce the range of aerosol dispersion during singing. In combination with an appropriate aeration strategy for aerosol removal, choir singers could be positioned in a more compact assembly without contaminating neighboring singers all singers.