Arts Council of Surrey

Our four youth orchestras have adjusted very well to the arrangements for weekly rehearsals on Saturdays where we rent rooms in Surrey Christian Secondary. Only students, conductors, sectional instructors, administrator, president, and a few volunteers are permitted inside the school. Everyone must wear a mask at all times, with the exception of wind and brass players who can only remove them when playing. Protocols require strict social distancing with limited numbers of people per room. Some students attend in person, while others join rehearsals via Zoom on their conductor’s laptop. Although students must now bring their own music stands and some must stand during rehearsals, chairs and tables must be sanitized after they are used.

Before students arrive at the school, each must complete a health check online for every rehearsal. Each orchestra has a separate entrance/exit from the others where a volunteer takes attendance and instructs each student to use sanitizer before entering the rehearsal space. Stretching exercises are encouraged at breaks for the Seniors and Symphonic Strings while social distancing is maintained. There are no snacks provided nor permitted in the rooms we use.

Masks with our Surrey Youth Orchestra logo on were generously paid for and donated to our students by Board member Farhad Ojaghi and his wife El-hum. They can be seen in the upcoming “Sounds of the Season” concert. It is hoped the four orchestras will be taped separately in the auditorium on November 28th and December 5th. There will be no audience during the taping. The “Sounds of the Season” concert will happen as a watch party on December 12th via YouTube at 7 pm. Details concerning public access to this event are available on our website homepage.

Sue Anderlini
President | Surrey Symphony Society