It was to a soundtrack of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ (in German), ‘Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis’, ‘And So It Goes’ by Billy Joel, that Bowen’s dedicated men’s choir Men on the Rock went virtual this spring.
As the pandemic crashed over Canadians’ lives and normal activities screeched to a halt, conductor Nicole Thomas Zyczynski kept up all three of her choirs with the magic of Zoom (and not a little bit of multitasking skill.)
Men on the Rock had just started a new season in February and so the men had several new songs to learn and hadn’t had much in-person time together.
“Some of the songs were in foreign languages so here was a chance to really do some detailed and focused work, which actually worked quite well over Zoom,” said Nicole.
“It wasn't exactly the same because the other members of the choir couldn't hear you, which is kind of odd,” said Bud Massender, one of the charter members of Men on the Rock.
“What, of course, all choirs and bands realized is that there’s a delay in the sound so we can’t actually sing at the same time and hear each other,” explained Nicole. “I just had to sing their parts and assume that they’re singing along.”
For two and a half hours at a time, Nicole would play the piano, turn the pages, operate the mic and computer and sing.
“She's an absolutely amazing director and musician,” explained Bud. “She can sit down at the piano and play just about anything you can name.”
After a certain point in the pandemic, a few of the men of Men on the Rock joined Nicole at her home for rehearsals while the rest continued participating over Zoom. “That was great for the other singers because they could hear what the bass voice sounded like, what a tenor voice sounded like and I was singing the missing part.”
“I have to say to put those songs together after having not met for two months. It was a delightful surprise,” she said. “The guys had done their work. They had learned the songs. They had learned the languages, French and German and Latin and Spanish, and put it all together. It was very pleasing.”
The virtual experience couldn’t quite match up to singing in person. “Those who were singing at home alone, they didn’t find it quite as fun,” said Nicole.
“It wasn't quite the same but certainly a lot better than not,” said Bud. “It was still enjoyable.”
“Because that’s part of choirs too,” said Nicole. “It’s not just the songs but it’s also the camaraderie.”
“I know for many it was their only activity during COVID––it was their only sort of escape out of hearing all of the news … so it was a breath of fresh air,” said Nicole.
Performances have posed another obstacle as they’re usually the culmination of months of hard work and for some singers it’s a goal they work toward. For others, the rehearsals are their fun. But Nicole is working on how the show might go on.
Men on the Rock is meeting next week to discuss how to continue safely. “Hopefully we’ll come to an agreement of how we move forward,” said Nicole.
But, due to a throat issue, Bud won’t be joining the crew wherever they next warm up their vocal cords.
“Apart from the camaraderie and enjoyment of a great bunch of fellows, it's just an uplifting thing to be able to go and sing for a few hours once a week,” said Bud. ‘I really am sad that I'm not going to be able to carry it on.
“I'm really going to miss it.”
Men on the Rock is recruiting for September and Nicole invites interested men to try them out in September either on Zoom or in person in a small group and large safe space. Contact Nicole at 778-926-4286 or by email: ntzharmonium@mac.com.
