A DOWN’S syndrome choir which cancelled its show because of coronavirus found an alternative way to perform its concert.
The popular Down’s Syndrome Oxford Choir had planned to perform in Witney on Saturday to celebrate World Down’s Syndrome Day.
The group intended to sign and sing a medley of popular songs to shoppers at the Woolgate Centre, however it was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Undeterred by the restrictions of staying at home, the choir took part in an hour-long online session on Zoom instead.
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Choir organiser Elsa Gill explained: “To celebrate World Down’s Syndrome Day, we’d arranged to go to Witney town centre and sing to the public.
“We sadly cancelled as there’s lots of vulnerable families in the group who are self-isolating, but then we had the idea of doing it on Zoom.
“Some of the group had been self-isolating for a week so it was great to see them on the screen.
“We’re hoping to do more of this virtual stuff as people will be self-isolating for a long time.
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“It’s a bit like FaceTime but you can get up to 100 people on it.
“It’s free for the first 40 minutes but we’ve paid for a subscription so we can do rehearsals, committee meetings and groups for the children.
“Doing this will keep our community connected during these difficult times.”
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Mrs Gill, a special needs teaching assistant at Sandhills Community Primary School in Headington, has a 15-year-old son, Jack, who has Down’s Syndrome.
She said that the group would usually meet every Saturday afternoon at Wheatley Park Sixth Form and regularly attracts 25 families from across Oxfordshire.
The choir was only created last February yet Mrs Gill described it as a ‘great community and a place for people to come together’, performing hits from The Greatest Showman and ABBA.
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