Choir of Viedma, Argentina, begins virtual meetings
With the start of the quarantine and the need for social distancing, virtual meetings have also become a reality for the members of the Choir of Viedma, Argentina. At the first meeting done this Friday, May 1, basic concepts on warm-up and vocal technique were worked on, and several tips were given on how to improve the quality of the songs presented during the Prayer for Peace in the Nations (PPN).
The virtual meeting had 33 connections and made it possible for the choir members to ask questions and interact with the others in different cities and provinces, such as Carmen de Patagones, General Roca, Neuquén, Necochea, Bariloche, Bahía Blanca, and Buenos Aires.
According to the person responsible for the Choir, Estévan, the transmission will take place every Friday through a channel where the choir members can access the information whenever they want to consult the basic theory.
Fraternal Presence
Formed in 2004, the Viedma Choir has a regional scope and currently has 21 members, among which are collaborators of the Path of Service House, affiliated with the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation (FIHF), monks of the Monastery of the Glorified Jesus, and choir members from the neighboring cities. Part of this group lives in the city of Viedma itself and has nine members who actively participate in the worldwide transmissions of the PPN, led by the Monasteries of the Grace Mercy Order, the Light-Network, Children of Mary, and Rosaries of Light.
The importance of this prayer work for the planet is known because of the current stage humanity is in, and yet, its task goes further, as Estévan emphasizes, “this same group carries out a task of service through a choir workshop every Saturday morning, where we sing with the inmates of the main prison of Viedma,” in spite of the fact that at this moment, the work has come to a standstill, waiting for the ending of the quarantine so as to re-engage with its activities.
This lovely and important task, which unites song and service, has been taking place since 2013, with the consent of Viedma city’s prison education sector, and every 30 to 45 days, there is a special celebration, with the participation of all the singers of the regional choir and the Southern Argentina Light-Network, in which, besides the music and a community lunch, many life experiences are also shared, as Estévan explains, “it seems to me that from the beginning, in 2013, a strong process of connection with the inmate brothers of the prison was built, with bonds of fraternity, friendship, commitment, presence, continuity, devotion, and much forgiveness.”
To top it off, with the awareness of those who know that service is a two-way street, in which the one who offers also receives, Estévan adds, “the proposal has always been ecumenical; it is based on equality, on redemption, and not expecting anything in return.”
