Church choirs continue to promote caution amidst pandemic

Apr. 17—Alto singer Bea Edwards said she's glad to sing with the Southeast Baptist Church choir again.

"I think the singing is a big part of the service," Edwards said. "We're kind of the leaders, singing with us up here."

The COVID-19 pandemic halted most in-church worship in spring 2020. As indoor worship resumed, church choirs slowly began to come back, as well.

Muskogee churches are beginning to hear more voices in the choir as more people become vaccinated against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

But concern remains.

St. Paul United Methodist Church choir member Jennifer Neely, a retired speech pathologist, said she is aware of how choral singing could spread the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

"When you sing, your vocalization is sustained," she said. "It's not just like talking, where you have periods of no aerosols coming out at all."

She referred to a CDC report from last spring about a 61-member Washington State church choir that experienced a 53 percent positive rate on COVID-19 testing.

"They were not physically distanced, they did not have on masks," Neely said, adding the choir was in a small room.

Southeast Baptist Church Music Minister Jeff Bolt said he, too, is aware that singing produces more droplets or aerosol.

"You're projecting more," he said

Bolt said the choir resumed practice two weeks before Easter and returned to worship on Easter Sunday.

"It was an exciting day to serve in a way we hadn't done in a year," he said. "They were excited to have the choir back."

He said the choir had 25 to 30 members before the pandemic and about 12 to 15 have returned. The choir practices in the sanctuary.

Edwards said she's been fully vaccinated, but still wears her mask when she shops at crowded places such as Walmart. Some other choir members said they had not been vaccinated.

Neely said the St. Paul choir maintained strict compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when it returned to practice last summer.

Choir members wore masks and kept six feet from each other during 45-minute rehearsals, she said. "We would rehearse only one song and we'd sing that song the following Sunday."

She said no choir members have come down with COVID-19.

"In January and February, we just had a few in choir, and that was just self imposed," Neely said. "As people began to get vaccinated, the number of people has increased back to a more normal level."

Every St. Paul choir member has been fully vaccinated, she said.

"Now that we're all fully vaccinated, unless we just want to, we don't wear a mask," she said. "We maintain that physical distance, however."

She said the choir director wears a mask while directing.

Timothy Baptist Church Choir Director Stephanie Bebb Payne said about 20 choir members have been serving since the church reopened for worship last year.

"We moved the chairs in the loft further apart, and members have to wear a mask at all times," she said. "We have been conducting choir practice in the sanctuary instead of the choir room, because there is more space and air flow."

She said the choir recently went back to practicing in the choir room, "but everyone is still wearing masks."

"I am so thankful our church has members willing to serve in the choir, even during times like these," Payne said. "They are truly a blessing to me and to our church."