- Zoom Royal Visitor
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Date Posted: Fri, 26 Mar 2021
By Haydn Lewis, Live News Editor
A group of singers from York got to perform for a princess this week.
York Musical Society (YMS), a thriving choral group with hundreds of members, welcomed the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice to a Zoom performance of Handel’s Coronation Anthems.
They were also joined by patrons Sir Ron Cooke and Dr Richard Shephard, and vice-presidents Lady Gillian Barron and Philip Moore along with his wife Allison, and Kurt Calder from sponsors, The Shepherd Group.
A group spokesman said: “As we have adapted to the strange times this term and rehearsed via Zoom, we decided to treat our last two sessions as virtual concerts, complete with concert dress.
“Princess Beatrice joined us for the first two anthems and spoke enthusiastically about how everyone has adapted to the situation, and that she is looking forward to being able to join us in person sometime in the not too distant future.”
Like many other cultural activities, YMS concerts and face-to-face rehearsals are cancelled for the whole of 2020 and the YMS committee has also made the decision to cancel their planned November concert and the choral workshop in January next year.
They will reconvene their usual Monday evening rehearsals at St Olave’s School in January.
As the committee email to members puts it: “We know this will be a huge disappointment, but we must make the health of our members and audiences our priority, and adhere to Government guidelines. If the situation changes and it becomes possible for us to get together sooner than January, then we will certainly arrange something.”
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