What do you do when the world is forced to a sudden stop?  You find a way to keep on singing!

In the Spring of 2020, three of us were determined to put some joy in our lives and to find a way to sing together. It began by driving in our respective cars to a sheltered spot behind the local Value Village where we could not be seen. We circled the “wagons”, distanced very far apart and sang to keep our spirits up.

As time went by, more CSC singers got added to the group and we moved into the backyards of various members.  The Backyard Singers expanded to a group of 10 and we are still together singing in the pavilion at the local park.  Each week we watch the local weather forecast and try to pick the best days. We have seen beautiful days, extreme heat, rain, snow and everything in between.  The best value has been the social aspect.  Seeing each other's beautiful faces, chatting and sharing has been uplifting in tough times.  We even had a cookie exchange on December 17, 2020 in the snow.

Here is what the members had to say about our experience.

Sandie: What a pleasure it has been to sing outdoors with all of you wonderful ladies throughout the past 2 years - an amazing outlet to get through the pandemic fairly intact with the joy of singing and creating wonderful music together, learning and improving together and our continued friendship together, thank you!

Shirley: How fortunate I am to be able to sing with all of you! I've had lots of fun and kept up with the music. Thank you so much!

Carol R: Singing with friends from CSC gave me joy. It was the most beautiful thing to do being outside in fresh air and nature.

Carole G: Staying in touch with music and friends during the Pandemic ordeal gave me needed human contact, kept my singing skills mostly in place and made memories of Timbits and Hot Apple toddy in the snow with lots of much needed laughter!

Wendy: Whether the costume was Parkas & Toques, Raincoats & Umbrellas, or Sunglasses & Fans, we met outdoors in every season to raise our voices in song. It meant so much to connect with each other in person, in spirit, and in voice. 

Alynne: Such a wonderful way to keep our positive energy and motivation as we "zoomed" our way through the last two years.  That was a struggle and being able to get together in person and hear our octet make music was awesome!

Margaret: Singing together with the Backyard Singers through the pandemic kept the beauty and joy of music alive in my life, as did the cheerful friends there, not only to carry the melodies but also to give the support we all needed to make it through a challenging time.

Susan: Singing with Nancy and Wendy and then the rest of the Backyard Singers during the pandemic was like being showered with sunshine in the midst of darkness. Even in the snow and cold weather we sang, talked, laughed and went home feeling able to face whatever came next.

Author: At a time that the world had gone crazy, the singing and socializing kept me sane and lifted my spirits.  So happy to see those smiling faces!

Nancy Lambrechts April 2022