Like everyone else, since March I’ve been switching from finding how remarkably normal things have been with the freedom of not having a regular busy weekly timetable to realising the seriousness of the situation with the future road plans being terribly uncertain – especially for us choral singers who I fear will be one of the last to get back to any sort of workable normal. I have found solace in using the time to reflect and readjust my life.

I decided to take on a project I would have not have had time to invest in during normal times: I have been learning Bach’s ‘Goldberg’ Variations for harpsichord – currently just over half-way on variation 19. My other challenges have been to learn a couple of Frescobaldi Toccatas from a manuscript first edition with 6 line staves and blotchy quill notes. I’ve also discovered the harpsichord works of the French composer Joseph Royer who was a contemporary of Rameau. All a great insight and good to exercise the brain and get that muscle memory oiled up again!

Peter Stark who conducts our County Youth Orchestra asked me to compile a list of choral works for children’s choir and orchestra for a friend who conducts a choir with the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra which helped me to reflect on the vast repertoire I have worked on over many years. Composers have included works by such composers as Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Haydn to Benjamin Britten, Richard Rodney Bennett, Philip Cannon, John Rutter, Howard Goodall, Andrew Carter, Bob Chilcott and John Williams et al.

With the Music Service I worked with Tori Longdon, the conductor of the County Youth Choir, on putting together 6 one-hour webinar sessions at the end of term. We included 3 guests – Simon Berridge (The Sixteen) and Helen Charlston (2018 winner of The Handel Singing Competition). Both had been former members of CYC. Tori invited the 3rd singer Jamie Wright who sings with The Swingles. The latency problems did not help with the real execution of these sessions but I guess there were some musical and social benefits for our students.

With more time available, I seized the opportunity to catch up on some reading. I decided to subscribe to the weekend papers of the Guardian and Times newspapers – particularly enjoying the columns of Andrew Rawnsley and Matthew Parris. As far as books are concerned, I caught up with books that had been gathering dust. Music in the Castle of Heaven – a unique portrait of Bach’s music especially choral music – John Eliot Gardner. I Drink Therefore I am – A philosopher’s guide to wine – Roger Scruton; The Testaments – Margaret Atwood; A Legacy of Spies – John Le Carré; If only they did not speak English – Jon Sopel – a fascinating insight into American life and politics covering attitudes towards race, patriotism, religion, firearms etc.

I’ve taken advantage of the glorious weather especially in April and May and have been very lucky to take advantage of loads of regular walks from my front door into the Bedfordshire countryside enjoying the sound of the cuckoo for two weeks solid before departing for their mammoth journey back to South Africa. I am certainly fitter now. I have also helped my wife with gardening and built myself a fairly large cabin to store my wood for winter fuel for my stove.

I look forward to the day we can all corporately join in the wonderful activity of singing!

Peter Twitchin