COVID UPDATE (as of December 2022) -- We're Carefully Coming Back

Like most choruses around the world, PHC shut down during the COVID crisis, for a year. All of us really missed singing together, so during the shutdown, we did what we could. Our on-line practice system allowed individual members to continue to practice at home. For group work, we tried various methods of computer-assisted group singing, but found them unsatisfactory. Instead, using Zoom meetings, our Musical Director was able to continue improving our performance by having each individual member record themselves singing their part to a selected song, e-mailing it in, and having the Director make suggestions for improvement. He also held some on-line musicology classes, including breathing, interval training, pitch identification and karaoke. Members also reached out to international music groups and participated in group singing, where each person recorded their own audio/video, and then a central person put the tracks together and published a group sing. This has turned out to be a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow singers from around the world.

But, nothing replaces the actual experience of singing together in person. PHC takes the health of our members and our community seriously, and has fully and carefully complied with government COVID health guidance, especially from our local Santa Clara County Public Health department. PHC applied for and received from the County a COVID protocol which allows us to sing together given that we follow certain requirements. The requirements have evolved over time. We enjoy two medical doctors among our members, and they caution us that the COVID pandemic is not yet over.

At our in-person rehearsals PHC requires the following:
    All attendees must be fully COVID vaccinated and boosted where appropriate
    For singers, masks are optional. We have provided some special Singing Masks
        to our members, and these have worked quite well.
    Members can socially distance to their comfort level
    We ask any member who exhibits symptoms of illness not to attend.
    We monitor attendees after rehearsals to determine if anyone has developed symptoms.
    We keep attendance records, should contact tracing be required.
    We provide hand sanitizer and spare masks

Our rules will evolve as health guidance evolves. We hope in the near future that all COVID restrictions will be lifted, and we can return to our normal operation.

For more information e-mail:     info@PeninsulaHarmony.org
Or call Jack at (408) 839-1051.