We're ba-ack!

Eighteen months ago, four singers turned up for choir practice - 8+1 had turned into 4+1 because of various things like holidays, inservice work, and even a case of what I'm pretty sure was an early Covid strike. We sang beautifully, and went home reflecting that it had been a good practice to take a break after - for we were due to fly off to Cyprus that following weekend. It was mid-March. We haven't met since.

Tonight, we had a choir practice. There were only five singers + Himself at the keyboard and singing bass - because when you suddenly decide you are waiting no longer for keepers of our usual venue to make up their minds what they're doing and pounce on a Tuesday, you find that one singer's off to Spain, another at a family celebration, another snowed under with work, another on holiday already and promising to sing as she walks ... But there were enough. We had all our parts, we were in the lovely acoustic of our own church, we sang far better than we'd expected. You can see by the smiles how we feel about it.

In deference to the prevailing Covid spike, not only in Scotland but also in our town, we all tested ourselves before meeting. The church is high-roofed and ventilated by ubiquitous draughts, and yet tonight it was warm. It is still 16ºC outside at 10pm. Everybody loved being there, being together, making music. We finished our rehearsal with The Parting Glass, and felt pretty emotional by the end. We had survived our songless desert.

And outside, in the balmy darkness, a screech owl heard our laughter and joined in under a sky littered with stars.