SALISBURY, England (AP) – David Halls is not a doctor, nurse or ambulance driver, but he wanted to help fight COVID-19. So he did what he did best: he sat down on the bench next to the historic organ of Salisbury Cathedral and began to sing.
Halls is one of many people who have turned the 800-year-old cathedral in the south-west of England into a mass vaccination center, while Britain is fighting to inoculate 50 million people. His contribution to the effort is to offer a bit of Bach, Handel and even a little Rodgers & Hammerstein to the public, while sailing the ship to get the photos.
“In times of crisis, people come together and want to listen to music; In moments of joy, people want to listen to music, “he told Associated Press Halls, the cathedral’s music director. “And so I don’t think it’s a surprise the effect of soothing music on people who probably feel pretty stressed for a variety of reasons.”
Salisbury Cathedral, home to one of the best-preserved copies of the Magna Carta and the tallest church tower in England, has been enlisted as a vaccination center as the government expands its shooting range to football stadiums and convention centers. and hundreds of local medical practices to expedite delivery.
Hundreds of elderly residents rolled up their sleeves and set fire to the large ship, which is large enough to gather people together, while keeping them safe.
It is in stark contrast to 1627, when church leaders blocked the gates of the cathedral to keep people in the city as the plague swept through Salisbury. Canon Nicholas Papadopulos, the dean of the cathedral, says he reflected on that episode with “visceral discomfort” last year, when he celebrated 800 years of the building.
Now is the time for a new chapter.
“If these stones could talk, they would talk about moments of incredible joy and moments of incredible sadness,” Halls said. “It seems completely appropriate for the cathedral to play its part in trying to turn things around and be part of the vaccinations … Being part of that is such a privilege, such an honor.”
The UK plans to offer a first dose of vaccine to more than 15 million people by mid-February, as it targets the country’s oldest and most vulnerable residents in the first phase of the program. Groups of progressively younger people will follow suit, with the government planning to reach all those over the age of 18 by September.
The need is urgent. The UK healthcare system is amazing as doctors and nurses struggle with a more contagious version of COVID-19.
While new infections appear to have peaked, the number of people hospitalized continues to rise. More than 39,000 patients are being treated in UK hospitals, 80% more than in the first peak of the pandemic in April last year. The United Kingdom reported 93,463 coronavirus-related deaths, more than any other country in Europe and the fifth largest in the world.
The effort at the cathedral is a community one, involving many. The organizers took it in turn for two hours playing the massive “Father Willis” – making sure to sanitize each other.
John Challenger, 32, Salisbury’s assistant music director, said many of the photographers are elderly people who are isolated and have not been able to listen to live music for months.
In addition to playing soothing music, Challenger used his organ time to entertain and evoke memories by playing songs such as Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.”
“And in the most frivolous moments we played ‘I like being by the sea’, because, you know, we all want to go on holiday and we couldn’t go where we want,” he said.
Among those who listened on Wednesday was 82-year-old Sylvia Parkin, who came with her 86-year-old husband, David. They had to stay home for a long time in the last 10 months, which was not fun at all.
“It’s a journey today, isn’t it?” She said cheerfully. “It’s a great place to get an injection.”
And, although it may be a long way to the organ farm, people have managed to receive their requests.
Halls played Handel’s “Largo” and Bach’s “Jesus, the Joy of Man’s Desire” for an 80-year-old neighbor who had sent an email asking his favorite players to be played at exactly 10:45 a.m. Saturday, exactly the moment the needle went in.
When Halls finished, he glanced at the screen showing the organist what was happening on the floor below and saw his neighbor fluttering frantically — wiper style — and thanking him.
“He emailed me later and told me it was the best part of his entire life, except for his wedding day,” Halls said. “Actually, I think the second time is pretty good.”
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Kearney contributed from Salisbury, England.
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