2 minute read
Quinte Symphony sustains during COVID -19
By Vic Schukov
We have all lost something during COVID-19 protocols and lockdowns. And while communities are slowly starting to reopen, public music performance is one of the last to recover under such circumstances.
“Last year was our 60th anniversary. It was to be a big celebratory season, and our last three concerts were cancelled due to COVID,” says Debbie Shaw, President of the Board of Directors and a flutist in the Belleville-based Quinte Symphony. “When words fail, music speaks. Performing is about connecting with people through music. We have musicians who have been in the orchestra for over 30 years. It’s a family atmosphere where we get to know each other, so we really miss seeing each other.”
And Quinte Symphony honours a “fantastic” variety of music, from Mozart and Dvorak to more contemporary Canadian compositions and pops. According to Shaw, who moved to Belleville from a small town in Manitoba over 32 years ago, finding out there was an orchestra she could play in, “felt like I had died and gone to heaven. For a musician, there is nothing like playing in an orchestra.”
That draw is especially strong now: “When restrictions lifted a bit last summer, some of us congregated in backyard ensembles in sweltering heat,” she says, laughing.
Shaw credits Quinte Arts Council for inspiring the symphony to have their October Annual General Meeting on Zoom, shared with all the musicians virtually. Also shared was a split -screen video of four of the musicians collaborating last September on a classical waltz: “We hadn’t seen each other in over six months, and they told me they had tears in their eyes.”
Quinte Symphony is adding links to past concerts on their YouTube channel, “so people have a chance to hear us even though we can’t get together physically,” she says. The channel also includes such gems as Meet the Musicians and a stirring video by their gifted confrere Neil Adamson performing Home by Andrew York – a nostalgic must-see with images of Quinte Symphony in the background.
According to Shaw, they’re reviewing feedback of a survey sent out to their musicians to see who is available for ensembles when restrictions are eased, and who is interested in virtual collaboration. While it’s difficult to plan specific dates (as there is no way of knowing when they can reassemble) she adds that musicians “can’t wait for the day when they can rehearse together and perform again.” One possibility as restrictions relax, is most likely outdoor concert events.
“Music has a magical way of bringing musicians and audiences together, resonating with the human spirit. Not being able to get together with people makes you think about what’s important,” says Shaw. “For me, music and people have sustained me; as with orchestras, the two are intertwined in life.”
thequintesymphony.com
