I did wonder whether remote online choir singing would work, but it does, with some laughs as well. Karen and Debbie manage to bring us an online dose of their uplifting energy and direction skills…making an ideal antidote to any lockdown blues. The group sings away happily despite our separation, the online time-lag means we all need to be on the mute setting (so they’ve told me ) this feels a bit odd at first but is soon normal and in fact helps confidence when learning a new piece. Many thanks to both of you for these sessions and the excellent resources you’ve produced and recorded, keep up the great work!

Sing It Big in Lockdown
At the beginning of the year we were excited to have gigs booked right up to Christmas 2020, including one of our own concerts at the end of March. When it became clear that this wasn't going to happen we couldn't envisage that we would be apart for so long. Needless to say, we have been so disappointed, not just that gigs couldn't happen, but that moreover we can't sing together on Tuesday nights.
It was so great to hear from Karen and Debbie that they were starting Zoom meetings in our voice groups, to catch up with each other and sing. They carried on working on new arrangements and sent us new material to learn. Zoom doesn't allow us to sing together because of the time delay on the internet but Karen and Debbie have still been able to teach us though we are muted and they can't hear us. We've been working on two new arrangements during the lockdown which are just as challenging as always. Our repertoire covers a wide range of music from The Beatles to Mozart. I'm really proud to belong to our musical family and I know that when we can finally sing together it will be an emotional experience. Thanks Karen and Debbie.

I have been a member of Sing It Big for around two and a half years and have loved every minute of being part of this wonderful community. Karen and Debbie are two of the most inspiring and supportive people I know, and work their socks off to create beautiful arrangements, record voice parts for us to practice, and dedicate rehearsals making sure that we all know what we are doing. I have met so many wonderful people through Sing It Big and it really does feel like a family when we are all together (even when being together is virtual!) The most important thing is that we all have so much fun singing together, and if you're not having fun, then what's the point?!

If you have ever thought about joining a choir then you couldn't find a better one to join than Sing it Big. I've been a member from the very first year and we have gone from strength to strength. We are really missing our Tuesday night rehearsals but our Zoom singalongs are the next best thing . Karen and Debbie couldn't have worked harder in encouraging us all to keep singing and raising our spirits. They even managing to teach us new music in these difficult times. We can't wait until we can all get together again and pick up where we left off and we hope to see some new members too! One thing you can be sure of is you would receive a very warm welcome from everyone in our Sing it Big Family.

They say never say never! How true this is. I recall one New Year's Eve my friend and I decided that as we both loved singing we were going to join a local choir, but as we hadn't sung since school were both a bit nervous of what the standard and requirements would be. We found and joined Sing It Big in April 2018 and have never looked back since. Karen and Debbie are the most amazing, uplifting, sensitive and crazy professionals who inspire, uplift and make you howl with laughter; they have so much energy which you take home with you every Tuesday. During Lock Down and shielding I did worry about my weekly fix of singing and fun and feeling isolated but no need as Karen and Debbie continued to email and keep in touch with new songs and motivated us by setting up virtual choir practice via Zoom! This has helped me significantly not to lose touch with the choir 'family'. The positive non judgemental encouragement in all our rehearsals is electric, our repertoire is amazing, crikey I'm even learning to sing in Latin; a huge improvement from 'Yellow Bird' I learned at school! I know it will be a while before we are all performing live again. I miss this very much and it's scary to think when we will be able to this again but for now, I'm safe, I'm singing and most of all, still smiling. 😊😘

I'd never been a member of a choir before joining Sing it Big a few years ago, and was very apprehensive at the beginning, but Debbie and Karen have a way of making everyone feel included and valued. I hadn't realised quite how important the weekly choir sessions had become to me as a source of relaxation, therapy and friendship until they ended suddenly in March. Being able to keep in touch with Debbie and Karen and some of the choir members online since then has been really important to me, reducing my feelings of isolation and motivating me to keep up my learning and practice. I'm very much looking forward to when we can all meet up, catch up and sing as a full choir again! 🎶🎶😊

Joining a choir in my 60th year was not anything I was considering, but I was persuaded to give it a go. I hadn't been in a choir since primary school and was thrown out of music lessons in secondary school for insolence - but that was a long time ago! I have always enjoyed a wide range of popular music and absolutely love Debbie and Karen's arrangements. They have a real talent for selecting great music and lyrics with popular appeal and interpreting them in a current and accessible way. They are inspiring as teachers and build our confidence effortlessly. They adapted very creatively and positively to the challenge of keeping the choir going during lockdown, providing great rehearsal resources and using the video technology imaginatively, so it doesn't feel as if we have lost out completely. There is something inclusive about the way that Karen and Debbie run the Sing it Big community. There's no pressure, no judgment, just lots of "can do" attitude and an expectation that you'll muck in and do your best. The outcome is always joyous, moving and uplifting. For someone who is not really a "joiner" I have loved every minute of the Sing it Big experience and am so glad to be playing my part. It has boosted my self-esteem, mood and well-being and helped me to feel less isolated during lockdown. As someone who had been told many times that I could not sing and had come to believe it, I have learnt new skills and belief in myself. I've also learnt that it is all about the team effort and what we create together that makes it special.

I joined Sing It Big in February 2014. I’ve always loved music and singing and after retiring the previous July, I was looking for exciting new hobbies. Joining the choir is one of the best things I have ever done. I’ve met some lovely people, made new friends and together we have a lot of fun both in rehearsals and in the concerts we perform. We all know we are very lucky to have Karen and Debbie at the helm; both professional musicians and singers. Their talent and professionalism is what makes Sing It Big unique through their wonderful arrangements of the songs we sing. Their harmonies are beautiful and sometimes very moving. I love too, the different ways in which our voices are used. We do think of ourselves now as a family but we have an open door and everyone is welcome. Come along and sing with us, it’s good for body and soul.

I just had to add my comments to all the others in praise of Singitbig. Tuesday evenings are full of fun,music and friendship all thanks to Karen and Debbie our very talented choirmistresses.
Their commitment and energy are inspirational and I always leave choir practice much happier than when I arrived. They and their music are a great tonic to all the members of the Singitbig family. Cant wait to start another new year.

I've been a member of sing it big since day 1. My daughter had singing lessons with karen and she told me about a choir debbie and karen were setting up. I said i would love to join, but wasnt a great singer, but loved doing it. So i went along to the first rehearsal, and the rest is history. Not only do i love the singing, the concerts, but ive made some lovely friends, and love karen and debbie to bits. Thanks for the last 4 years ladies, and here's to the next 4.