Berlin Senate decides: Let our people sing

Berlin Senate decides: Let our people sing

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norman lebrecht

July 22, 2020

Under pressure from Protestant churches, the Berlin Senate has voted to amend a ban on choral singing up to the end of October.

The Senate will now permit choirs to rehearse and perform under the ‘hygiene and infection protection standards set by the Senate administration.’ These standards have not hyet been published.

In neighbouring Brandenburg state singers must stand at least 1.5 meters from each other.

 

Comments

  • Karl says:

    Hasn’t it been proven that singing causes the virus to spread further?

    https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-06-01/coronavirus-choir-singing-cdc-warning

    I believe in freedom though. If people want to take chances with their health it’s their business.

    • annnon says:

      So long as they don’t access the public health care system after getting infected. That includes their families.

    • Peter San Diego says:

      If it were only their own health that they’d be risking, I’d agree. Since, however, they’d also be risking the health, even lives, of their families, friends, and people encountered by chance, there is reason to curtail this particular freedom for what one hopes is a finite period.

      • Karl says:

        People who are afraid of covid can stay in their homes and let everyone else get on with their lives.

        • Le Křenek du jour says:

          People who are ill with Covid-19 can just drop dead and let everyone else get on with their lives.
          Until their own turn comes.

          Such would be the logic of your statement, if taken to its conclusion.
          In other terms: the end of civilised society.

        • Dan says:

          Let “everyone else” spread the virus?

      • John Rook says:

        Come on, read the statistics properly and not through manipulated nanny-state, MSM spectacles. Those who seriously believe CV has announced the end of the world need their heads examining.

  • Suzanne says:

    “evangelisch” in German translates as protestant (Lutheran), not evangelical. There has been tremendous pressure from the hundreds of amateur groups in Berlin in addition to the professional choirs.

    • Zelda Macnamara says:

      Suzanne you are quite right about the translation but unfortunately on the EKD website, the English version uses the term “Evangelical”. I used to work for the Lutheran Church in Hamburg and was forever telling people that “evangelical” translates into German as “evangelikal” but my message never got very far.
      Sorry for the digression.
      And I also sang in several church choirs so I know how important this is.

  • John Rook says:

    If it truly were dangerous to sing, Germany would continue to ban it.

  • Le Křenek du jour says:

    Right today in the FAZ, this newest report on particulate aerosols emissions from the ongoing study at the TU Berlin:
    https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/gesundheit/coronavirus/schutz-vor-corona-infektion-zu-viele-aerosole-im-raum-bemerken-16871981.html

    Btw, how many more aerosol particles are emitted during singing as compared to normal speech?
    According to the TU Berlin study, up to 50 times.

  • siloe says:

    Sorry, this is just a ridiculous Interpretation of what is going on. Berlin had banned every singing in closed rooms. You were officially not even allowed to sing to your infant anymore. It was silly to say the least. Thank God there was a revision. Happened after pressure from Amateur choirs as well as the Professional choirs (Rundfunkchor, Rias Kammerchor, Opernchöre). Especially the latter had rehearsed with very strict protection concepts before (3m – 6m between singers).

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