With regret, HYM will remain closed this term. Hopefully we can resume in September.

I have always taken the view that all schools should be up and running before HYM could consider restarting. However, in last Friday's Times, an article headed 'It's enough to make you spit' said that '...for amateur musicians there will be a total ban. So for the foreseeable future there will be no brass bands, no youth orchestras, no choral societies, no community choruses...etc'. As yet I haven't been able to find official confirmation of this. The physicality of music making presents specific challenges for safety.

The last HYM was 29 February! HYM will refund all payments for cancelled rehearsals. If parents prefer, HYM can retain payments made during the lockdown to offset fees for next year. In order for Aideen to start this process, she needs all parents to complete a short online form by 9am 13 July.

Online Form Link: https://forms.gle/SeF41QBzgtQ6GZiz6

I thought one practical way of starting next year would be to begin with sectional rehearsals ie smaller groups. This would be easier for HYM to manage, and also reassure parents who may have concerns about children in large groups. I have in mind Saturday 12 September, with Friday 11 September for Philharmonic, so please put this in the diary. This will be confirmed nearer the time.

The PO/CB/Cam concert at LSO St Luke’s, originally scheduled 4 April, has been rescheduled three times and is now 27 March 2021. A diary for other HYM concerts will be drawn up when the normal routine has been fully restored.

I hope you are all well and look forward very much to seeing you all in September.

Mark

After extensive discussions with LSO St Luke’s yesterday (18 June) the HYM concert there scheduled first for 4 April, then 12 July, then 10 October, has been moved once more to

Saturday 27 March 2021

Although LSO St Luke’s intends to cautiously restart concerts in the autumn, they will be on a small scale, with few performers and limited audience. Large scale concerts will present many challenges and so are rescheduling to 2021.

27 March 2021 is a good date from our point of view, so I thought it better to secure it now while it is available. I must say once more that everyone at LSO St Luke’s has been helpful - particular thanks to Sarah Sibbett.

I have kept Mark-Anthony Turnage posted.

Mark

Since the outbreak of the crisis in February, cancellation of the Venice 2020 tour has seemed inevitable. However, I felt there was no point in confirming this until flights were officially cancelled. Actually, the decision to cancel would have been made easier if we (and/or Venice) were still in complete lockdown.

News from London in the last few days has been encouraging, and you will have seen photos in the press of cafés reopening in Milan and Venice. However, there remain far too many concerns and these prohibit the tour from going ahead.

It is critical we do all we can to deny a second surge. If one were to take place (either here or in Venice) during tour, our return flights could be jeopardised. If a member of the party were to test positive or even show symptoms, this would endanger the whole group. There is the also prospect of quarantine. All transport must remain for essential users only.

With my contacts in Venice I have discussed specific aspects of the tour (rooms, eating, travelling, rehearsing, concerts) and have concluded that they are all impossible to manage. A study in Germany has recommended wind players need 12 metres of space in front of them and 3 metres to either side! A concert at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in March left 102 ill (out of the choir of 130) with one fatality and several in intensive care. It is impossible to remove physicality from musical performance.

So, with deep regret, there will be no Venice 2020.

At the moment flights have been cancelled for June, but not those for July. If July flights are cancelled, refunds will be obligated. However, if flights are not cancelled and go ahead, refunds may not be offered. I therefore recommend that if you are offered convenient transfers, you take them.

HYM will refund all money paid to it. Please be patient, this goes well beyond Aideen’s pay grade.

This is desperately disappointing and I hope you all understand.

Mark