Band and choir classes set to reprise in some Sask. schools, despite caution against singing, rehearsals

Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer currently cautions against choir practice, but some school boards say their choir classes will resume this fall, albeit with some tweaks given the increased chances of singers spreading COVID-19.

"In-class learning of band, choral and other related performing arts activities will continue with some necessary adaptations and precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of students and staff," according to the back-to-school plan released earlier this week by Chinook School Division — a school board overseeing schools in the province's southwest, where the latest large outbreak of COVID-19 has occurred. 

That statement was echoed word for word in the plan released by the North East School Division, in its section dealing with "band and choral activities."

The Regina Catholic School Division said it would continue high school choral and vocal jazz programming, under the provincial guidelines. 

"Focus will be on theory instruction and small group sectional rehearsals. [We] will invest in software programming to accommodate virtual choral singing," according to the division's plan. 

Choirs are covered in the performing arts section of the province's Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, which does not allow public performances and recommends against rehearsals or practices "due to the known increased risk of spreading COVID-19."

"One documented COVID-19 outbreak resulted in the spread of the virus to 87 per cent of choir attendees from one infected person," reads another section of the guidelines about singing. Two other school boards noted this in their own plans. 

But, if choirs sing on, the province said members must take several steps to prevent transmission, including:

• Wearing a mask or standing four metres apart from others.
• Not facing each other.
• Conductors wearing face shields and staying at least four metres away from the orchestra.

Band members can't share instruments and must clean them regularly.

Chinook School Division said it would follow health guidelines "based on school and community infection prevalence."

If infection rates increased, it would consider alternatives such as live-streaming individual performers in separate locations. 

North East School Division said it would consider playing "lower risk" instruments, such as percussion or string instruments, over wind instruments.

Puppy pads to collect spit

Good Spirit School Division, whose plan said its schools may teach band class remotely or in physically distant environments, cautioned that some larger instruments require larger distances.

"For example, the trombone bell and flute are extended from the performers body."

Among school boards contemplating the return of bands or choirs, Good Spirit went into the most detail, even considering gathering a large supply of puppy pads to deal with built-up "condensation" in instruments.

"Each student will have one [puppy pad] laid under their chair and will throw them away themselves after each class," according to Good Spirit's back-to-school plan. "Costco may have the cheapest price point.

"When we are getting close to getting back to 'normal', paper towel may be a sufficient replacement over puppy pads, but may not be big enough for right now."