From the eXreme Quartetting Reopening Advisory Committee
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The purpose of the XQRAC is to provide relevant accurate information and guidance to the leaders of the 11 independent Harmony Brigades in light of the SARS-Cov2 pandemic as they plan for future Brigades.
Latest XQRAC Recommendations - May 19, 2021
The eXtreme Quartetting Reopening Advisory Committee (XQRAC) today issues new guidance on planning future Harmony Brigade Rallies: "Proceed with Caution". Our advice over the past year warned of risks of premature reopening and set out markers of when it may be possible to proceed safely. Those markers have largely been met. The guidance we issue today (see attached) updates our recommendations, and discusses the reasons for the changes which are aimed at minimizing risks of infection for a brigade that chooses to hold a rally later this year or in early 2022.
With all of this in mind—and the caveat that these recommendations only apply to fully-vaccinated people singing with other fully-vaccinated people—the advice of this committee has shifted from cautioning against premature reopening, to encourage fully-vaccinated singers to participate in harmony brigade rallies.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
After more than a year of Harmony Brigade Rallies being suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the eXtreme Quartetting ™ Reopening Advisory Committee (XQRAC) today issues revised guidance that planning for future rallies should proceed with caution. Our recommendations are based on conditions as of May 2021, but with an eye toward planning for Rallies to be held from September 2021 and onward for the next annual cycle. Below is our basic reasoning for this position and recommendations on how to proceed safely.
First, risks of infection are minimal when fully-vaccinated people sing with other fully-vaccinated people.
The rapid rollout of highly effective vaccines in many parts of the United States has caused significant reductions in case rates, hospitalization rates, and mortality rates. The recent announcements by the U.S. CDC expanding the types of activities in which fully-immunized individuals can safely participate—including indoor choral singing—reflects the opinion of experts that vaccines have reduced risks dramatically.
A large and growing body of medical and scientific evidence shows that face-to-face interactions pose no serious threat to fully-vaccinated, immunocompetent (those with a normally functioning immune system) individuals. Importantly, this low level of risk also holds for singing in groups of fully-vaccinated individuals. The risks of a “breakthrough infection” (i.e., a vaccinated individual contracts COVID-19) are small, and the risk of serious disease or death is minute, much less than the risks of having a serious car accident or a bad case of influenza. Most people have long accepted those risks as potentially serious, but are willing to carry out normal activities without undue fear. Individuals who attend Brigades will need to make their own decisions based upon their own level of risk tolerance.
Vaccination rates in the U.S. and in the U.K. look very favorable for population coverage going into this summer, with conditions in the E.U. catching up. The progress in achieving high vaccination rates suggests that from September 2021 onward, planning for a Brigade rally among fully-vaccinated singers does not pose unreasonable risks.
Second, the Barbershop Harmony Society has recently begun moving forward on plans for hosting in-person conventions at the District level in the Autumn, 2021. This follows the same logic presented above. Vaccines are making this change possible.
Below are a set of general guidelines, although local public health conditions or regulations in any specific location or country may call for different actions:
With all of this in mind—and the caveat that these recommendations only apply to fully-vaccinated people singing with other fully-vaccinated people—the advice of this committee has shifted from cautioning against premature reopening, to encourage fully-vaccinated singers to participate in harmony brigade rallies.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
After more than a year of Harmony Brigade Rallies being suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the eXtreme Quartetting ™ Reopening Advisory Committee (XQRAC) today issues revised guidance that planning for future rallies should proceed with caution. Our recommendations are based on conditions as of May 2021, but with an eye toward planning for Rallies to be held from September 2021 and onward for the next annual cycle. Below is our basic reasoning for this position and recommendations on how to proceed safely.
First, risks of infection are minimal when fully-vaccinated people sing with other fully-vaccinated people.
The rapid rollout of highly effective vaccines in many parts of the United States has caused significant reductions in case rates, hospitalization rates, and mortality rates. The recent announcements by the U.S. CDC expanding the types of activities in which fully-immunized individuals can safely participate—including indoor choral singing—reflects the opinion of experts that vaccines have reduced risks dramatically.
A large and growing body of medical and scientific evidence shows that face-to-face interactions pose no serious threat to fully-vaccinated, immunocompetent (those with a normally functioning immune system) individuals. Importantly, this low level of risk also holds for singing in groups of fully-vaccinated individuals. The risks of a “breakthrough infection” (i.e., a vaccinated individual contracts COVID-19) are small, and the risk of serious disease or death is minute, much less than the risks of having a serious car accident or a bad case of influenza. Most people have long accepted those risks as potentially serious, but are willing to carry out normal activities without undue fear. Individuals who attend Brigades will need to make their own decisions based upon their own level of risk tolerance.
Vaccination rates in the U.S. and in the U.K. look very favorable for population coverage going into this summer, with conditions in the E.U. catching up. The progress in achieving high vaccination rates suggests that from September 2021 onward, planning for a Brigade rally among fully-vaccinated singers does not pose unreasonable risks.
Second, the Barbershop Harmony Society has recently begun moving forward on plans for hosting in-person conventions at the District level in the Autumn, 2021. This follows the same logic presented above. Vaccines are making this change possible.
Below are a set of general guidelines, although local public health conditions or regulations in any specific location or country may call for different actions:
- It is proper and prudent to require that individuals attending the Brigade Rally demonstrate that they have been vaccinated. Proof of vaccination status is the only sure-fire way of assuring the best level of safety for all participants. This proof should be provided as far in advance of the event as possible, but at least six weeks before the event (this is the duration required for the Moderna vaccine, which is the longest time period after vaccination to reach full immunity). Full vaccination of all participants will allow communal activities, including eating together, singing, being in meetings and general interactions, to take place with a high confidence in personal safety. Brigade planners may want to identify how their particular venues can accommodate single room occupancy.
- The requirement for fully-vaccinated status may prevent participation by some individuals who are advised by medical authorities to not receive vaccination at this time or for other reasons, but this requirement is essential for the rally to proceed without undue risks. There are always trade-offs in life, and here the choice is between safety for those who attend the rally, versus allowing the broadest possible participation. eXtreme Quartetting ™ Harmony Brigades are not public entities and are already exclusive organizations. The XQRAC recommends that the priority be placed on safety of singers, hotel staff and the local community, including non-immune individuals who are not participating in the Rally but may be at risk of acquiring infection as a result of the Rally experience, interactions with singers outside of the Rally venue, or travel to and from the event. We recommend that traditional Brigade rallies be reopened only if the requirement for all attendees to document proof of vaccination is strictly enforced. Participation by non-immunized singers and guests should wait for further evidence of “herd immunity” and an overall much lower level of COVID-19 infections.
- Additional measures to confirm health status beyond proof of vaccination (e.g., testing upon arrival or during the Rally) offer little additional protection, and are not recommended. Taking temperatures, requiring PCR or other diagnostic tests offer no additional protection to fully vaccinated participants, and are thus unnecessary. These measures also are likely to be cumbersome to administer and may generate unnecessary conflict. There is no better protection available than fully-vaccinated singers singing only with other fully-vaccinated singers. Participants should be cautioned that they should refrain from attending if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms or fever even if provided with a negative test outcome, due to the perceptions and levels of discomfort that might occur during an ongoing pandemic. Rally organizers may want to check with their venues to discuss the vaccination status of their employees, and to inform them of the Rally’s requirements for proof of vaccination. The pandemic is still ongoing, there are still risks of local outbreaks of COVID-19, and it is prudent for all parties to be informed. Be prepared to cancel at the last minute should local, regional, or national conditions deteriorate.
- We recommend that masks not be required for participating in the Brigade activities unless local regulations require otherwise. Masks would not be required while singing for fully-vaccinated participants (that is, anyone attending the Rally). Participants may be encouraged or required to wear masks during non-singing activities in areas where there is potential exposure to hotel staff or the general public. There may be local regulations or business restrictions that require masks, and these should of course be followed. Attendees who do choose to wear masks for personal protection, however, should be welcomed to do so.
- No guests, no singouts, and no concerts. Participation of guests, singouts in schools, retirement communities and for other audiences, and hosting of concerts by Rallies should be avoided for at least the next six months, and possibly longer due to the difficulty of verifying the vaccination status of all guests and audience members. We do love to sing to an audience, but let’s invite them to come next year instead. The BHS and HFI have both offered to assist Brigades in producing virtual shows that can also be used as fundraisers and for public and youth outreach which helps fulfill the mission of Brigades.
- Stay flexible and XQRAC will continue to monitor and advise. Should conditions worsen in any way, Rally organizers would of course need to be flexible, and to keep in mind that in may become necessary to postpone or cancel the Rally. Fortunately, the rate of decline of daily new cases of COVID-19 and the ongoing efforts at vaccination suggest that risks are likely to continue to decline. The XQRAC will, however, remain as an advisory group to the eXtreme Quartetting ™ community, because we are all Harmony Brigade members too. We all want to get back to ringing those chords together, but we will be monitoring conditions going forward and will continue to provide advice.
Download May 19, 2021 Advice Here
| restart_of_harmony_brigades_19_may.pdf |
About XQRAC
The AXQHB assembled a group of people to help us navigate through the closing and re-opening of Brigade rallies over thec course of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. We didn't have to look any farther than our own Brigade singers. They all volunteered their time and expertise to help us through these unprecedented times. The group is called the eXtreme Quartetting Re-opening Committee, or XQRAC and includes a clinical psychologist, an MD and medical school prof, a social scientist and economist, several Brigade Board members and leaders, several Brigade ambassadors, an accountant, an infectious disease MD, an epidemiologist and former Asst. Sec’y of HHS, several Brigade co-founders, a software engineer and project planner, a quality control specialist, several university professors, a math teacher, a retired school superintendent, and a professional singer. Commitee members include co-chairs Dr. George Korch and Dr. Gary Holmes. Primary guidance writer Calvin Schnure, Also, Dr. Don Salz, Blair Brown, Tamara Hitchcock, Stephanie Schmidt, Don Schreiber, Mark Schuldenfrei, and Rick Yarto. We mourn the sudden loss of committee member Dr. Dale Bieber, an important contributor to the committee, a talented singer and great friend.
Previous XQRAC Recommendations - December 2020
After much research and consideration the Committee has concluded that Harmony Brigade style singing is still one of the highest risk performance activities for potential transmission of Covid-19. Even with vaccines being approved now, engaging in brigade-style singing still carries a high risk of exposure to a potentially deadly virus that has killed 300,000 Americans, and 1.5 million worldwide. There are few activities more likely to spread the virus than indoor singing. We do NOT recommend that Brigade rallies be held at this time.
Nevertheless, given the long time frames necessary for planning a Harmony Brigade rally, it is appropriate to begin reviewing when our events may be safely held, what modifications to activities may improve safety and maintain fun, and what warning signs should prompt a re-evaluation and possible rescheduling of a Harmony Brigade rally.
Highly recommended (top health and safety concerns):
The Committee has read, discussed, and considered many research studies on the Sars-Cov2 virus, its ability to be transmitted via droplets, through the air, and via fomites, and aerosol spread by speaking, singing, and from ventilation and air-conditioning systems. We have monitored and read the work of international performing and singing studies that have investigated how the virus spreads and what can be done to mitigate its spread in rehearsal and performance settings with the aim of protecting our participants.
It is not just our singers who are at risk for getting or spreading infection via a rally. Hotel staff, audiences at sing-outs and shows, and people whom singers may encounter while traveling to and from the event all may help spread the disease or be exposed to singers who are contagious and may not even know it either through pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic transmission. Brigade participants may also be exposed to the virus at a rally and then unknowingly take that home to their loved ones and/or coworkers. We take into account both the risks that others may pose to us and also the risks that we may may pose to others at the event, in the hotel, while traveling, and back at home. Given that many of our participants have comorbidities that make them high-risk for serious or fatal outcome, we must be especially careful.
Now, the approval of several vaccines against Covid-19 is starting to bring some clarity as to when it will be safe to sing together again. Vaccines are beginning to be administered, with up to 100 million or more expected to be vaccinated in the first half of 2021. If the vaccine shows “a light at the end of the tunnel”, it is still a long tunnel ahead of us. Epidemiologists estimate that up to 70% of a vulnerable population may need to be vaccinated or have acquired immunity by contracting the disease before “herd immunity” slows or stops the spread of the pandemic. The number of people who need to be vaccinated depends on the transmissibility of the virus and other mitigation efforts taken in any particular area or around the world. The U.S. population is not expected to reach this point until at least mid to late 2021, and perhaps later.
As Brigade singers, we want to get back to the “most fun in barbershop” as soon as possible, but we must consider the health of our singers as our top priority, and as a result, respectfully submit these recommendations to the AXQHB.
Nevertheless, given the long time frames necessary for planning a Harmony Brigade rally, it is appropriate to begin reviewing when our events may be safely held, what modifications to activities may improve safety and maintain fun, and what warning signs should prompt a re-evaluation and possible rescheduling of a Harmony Brigade rally.
Highly recommended (top health and safety concerns):
- Don’t jump the gun! We really should try to avoid being a high-profile super-spreader event. Harmony Brigades should not hold any rallies until after the Barbershop Harmony Society successfully holds a live International or Mid-Winter convention, or other large District convention and contest.
- Evaluate all potential risks. Harmony Brigades should evaluate each of the activities associated with the event and the risks that each activity may pose. Some higher risk activities may not be held this year, or held in a safer way. Singouts? NO. Brigade show? Not as we currently know them. Maybe a recorded virtual performance and sharing the recording with local school programs, but no live public shows. Depending on the locale and time of year, can the Brigade hold some activities outdoors? Consider smaller attendee lists to reduce density indoors. Request and study documentation on the venue’s ventilation systems. Masks? Use of electronic pitch pipes only? Recent or on-the-spot Covid-19 testing as a requirement to attend? Providing hand-sanitizer, masks, and other PPE. Use of single rooms should be encouraged, if not mandated. Meals may have to be altered with bag/box lunches, individual dining, staggered meal times, etc. These issues must all be addressed.
- Require proof of vaccination or immunity. Brigades who consider reopening in the second half of 2021 (assuming the BHS International Convention is held live in Cleveland in July 2021) should require all attendees to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, or evidence of Sars-Cov2 antibodies (they’ve had Covid-19 and recovered) within the past six months, and participate in initial and daily symptom checks. If suspicious symptoms are reported, the participants should withdraw immediately from any contact with others until resolved.
- Know the local conditions and risks. Harmony Brigade leadership must take into consideration public health conditions in their areas, and comply with local, state and federal government restrictions on gatherings, requirements for social distancing and masks, curfews, travel advisories, restaurant capacity limits, etc. Some attendees may be traveling from outside the area and will need to quarantine after travel, both before and after the event.
- Don’t be bullied if it’s not safe. Brigade leaders should not feel pressured by hotel contract clauses to hold a rally that is less than safe. The potential liability and personal toll possible after having a rally when its not safe is much greater than a cancellation fee imposed by a hotel. With government restrictions in place, can hotels meet their terms and conditions regarding meeting spaces, meals, transportation, ensuring adequate air turnover in public areas, etc.? Negotiation with hotels over contracts is highly recommended.
- Survey your members! Harmony Brigade leadership should survey their members and attendees to gauge their willingness (or reluctance) to attend over various time horizons (first half of 2021, second half of 2021, not until 2022), etc. The survey should measure attendees’ willingness to participate in specific Brigade activities and possible requirements for attendance including certification of vaccination, symptom checks, changes to the event including masks, outdoor activities, online virtual (recorded) show, single rooms, dining alone, etc. A sample survey is attached which each Brigade may format in any manner they choose (survey monkey, google forms, printed survey, phone survey, etc.)
- Talk to your insurer and/or legal advisor. Harmony Brigade leaders should seek advice from insurance carriers and/or obtain legal advice about the Brigade’s liability for infection or spread of infection and its consequences. Brigades should, on the advice of insurance experts and legal counsel, consider waivers for participation that outline the potential for getting Covid-19 from participation in a Brigade rally and releasing the Brigade, BHS, and the AXQHB from and all liability and possible outcomes of the decision to attend. The BHS will be providing such a waiver form. The BHS has announced that as of January 1, 2021, the insurance coverage provided to its subsidiaries would not cover payment of damages from judgements against Brigades should the Brigade be found liable for the spread of infectious disease. The insurance would, however, cover the cost of defending the charges in Court. Therefore Brigades need to take all proper precautions and document their efforts.
- Encourage other singing until a Brigade can be safe. Barbershop singers have many outlets in which to participate such as chapters, choruses, clubs, quartets, and local conventions and contests. A Brigade is unique and the activities that make a Brigade must be kept intact in order to meet the Brigades’ mission. Too many drastic changes to Brigade activities will water down the experience for all concerned. Keep a Brigade a Brigade. Allow brigade singers to get their barbershop “fix” at other venues until it is safe for Brigades to re-open.
- What songs can we sing? Currently, most Brigades are planning to use the original 2020 core songs in 2021 or 2022 depending on when they reopen. The AXQHB music committee will decide if that needs to be pushed back to 2023 or another plan. If a 2021 rally is held, Harmony Brigades may consider incorporating a “vintage” or “greatest hits” repertoire to make it easier to fill out rosters with attendees from past rallies with shorter notice, and to keep costs down.
- Reduce risks at run-throughs. Harmony Brigades should encourage attendees to have virtual run-throughs using Jamulus, or other electronic means.
- Give a pass on membership loss for your first “re-opened” rally. Most Brigade bylaws mandate that in order to maintain membership, a member must not miss two consecutive rallies. Since many of our members have comorbidities that will prohibit them from taking risks, or for those who may take some time to feel comfortable in getting back into large group activities, waive that requirement for a year.
- Questions? Check our previous recommendations, or ask us. Harmony Brigade leadership should review our prior guidance issued in August 2020 and check for information on the www.harmonybrigade.org website. Reach out to us if you have any questions via president.axqhb@gmail.com .
The Committee has read, discussed, and considered many research studies on the Sars-Cov2 virus, its ability to be transmitted via droplets, through the air, and via fomites, and aerosol spread by speaking, singing, and from ventilation and air-conditioning systems. We have monitored and read the work of international performing and singing studies that have investigated how the virus spreads and what can be done to mitigate its spread in rehearsal and performance settings with the aim of protecting our participants.
It is not just our singers who are at risk for getting or spreading infection via a rally. Hotel staff, audiences at sing-outs and shows, and people whom singers may encounter while traveling to and from the event all may help spread the disease or be exposed to singers who are contagious and may not even know it either through pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic transmission. Brigade participants may also be exposed to the virus at a rally and then unknowingly take that home to their loved ones and/or coworkers. We take into account both the risks that others may pose to us and also the risks that we may may pose to others at the event, in the hotel, while traveling, and back at home. Given that many of our participants have comorbidities that make them high-risk for serious or fatal outcome, we must be especially careful.
Now, the approval of several vaccines against Covid-19 is starting to bring some clarity as to when it will be safe to sing together again. Vaccines are beginning to be administered, with up to 100 million or more expected to be vaccinated in the first half of 2021. If the vaccine shows “a light at the end of the tunnel”, it is still a long tunnel ahead of us. Epidemiologists estimate that up to 70% of a vulnerable population may need to be vaccinated or have acquired immunity by contracting the disease before “herd immunity” slows or stops the spread of the pandemic. The number of people who need to be vaccinated depends on the transmissibility of the virus and other mitigation efforts taken in any particular area or around the world. The U.S. population is not expected to reach this point until at least mid to late 2021, and perhaps later.
As Brigade singers, we want to get back to the “most fun in barbershop” as soon as possible, but we must consider the health of our singers as our top priority, and as a result, respectfully submit these recommendations to the AXQHB.
Q & A from XQRAC
Is it advisable to use a current (within 72 hours) Covid-19 test as the main criteria to participate in a Brigade Rally?
A Covid-19 test, although valuable to the individual to know that they did or did not have the disease at the time of the test, is not a significant enough protection to the individual or others at a Rally.
The good part is that if a person tests positive, they would withdraw and not come to the Rally. However, test results are only a snapshot of a condition at the time and place the test was administered. There are often delays in reporting results from 2 to 7 days, extending the post-testing time in which one can be exposed the virus. It is possible to test negative and still be infected simply because the viral load in your throat may not have reached the detectability threshold at the time of testing. One could be tested on Tuesday, be negative, be exposed to the disease on Wednesday, and be a pre-symptomatic spreader by the weekend. Dr. George Korch says, “I agree with all (the above) sentiments expressed about the value of the test. That being said, many organizations and governments have been using it as a demonstration that at the point of the test, you could be reasonably assured that you were not a risk, and that you were obviously not positive (which would then require self-isolation). But put into the larger context of getting together specifically to engage in a high risk behavior, it is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card.”
In short, the answer is NO. A recent negative Covid-19 test is not a sufficient sole criteria for participation but could be used as one part of a comprehensive overall safety strategy.
A Covid-19 test, although valuable to the individual to know that they did or did not have the disease at the time of the test, is not a significant enough protection to the individual or others at a Rally.
The good part is that if a person tests positive, they would withdraw and not come to the Rally. However, test results are only a snapshot of a condition at the time and place the test was administered. There are often delays in reporting results from 2 to 7 days, extending the post-testing time in which one can be exposed the virus. It is possible to test negative and still be infected simply because the viral load in your throat may not have reached the detectability threshold at the time of testing. One could be tested on Tuesday, be negative, be exposed to the disease on Wednesday, and be a pre-symptomatic spreader by the weekend. Dr. George Korch says, “I agree with all (the above) sentiments expressed about the value of the test. That being said, many organizations and governments have been using it as a demonstration that at the point of the test, you could be reasonably assured that you were not a risk, and that you were obviously not positive (which would then require self-isolation). But put into the larger context of getting together specifically to engage in a high risk behavior, it is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card.”
In short, the answer is NO. A recent negative Covid-19 test is not a sufficient sole criteria for participation but could be used as one part of a comprehensive overall safety strategy.
Suggested Survey of Brigade Participants - December 2020
| dec_2020_suggested_survey_xqrac.pdf |
November 2020 Int'l Coalition of Performing Arts 3rd Report
| intl_coalition_of_perf_arts_third-aerosol-report.pdf |
BHS Guidance for Singing Ensembles
| covid-19-interim-guidance-for-bhs-ensembles-and-singing-communities-v1.2.pdf |
CDC Guidance on Covid-19 Testing Interpretation
| testing-guidance.pdf |
First XQRAC Recommendations - August 22, 2020
The XQRAC recommends that:
- there be no traditonal Harmony Brigade Rallies held until the Barbershop Harmony Society holds an International Convention or a large district convention.
- that the AXQHB and individual Brigades explore the development of high quality virtual Harmony Brigade Activities.
- that the individual Harmony Brigades survey their membership and attendees on their levels of comfort in various Brigade activites as the pandemic develops.
| xqrac_letter_to_hb_leadership_22aug2020[101403]r1.pdf |
| covid-19-interim-guidance-for-bhs-ensembles-and-singing-communities-v1.0.pdf |
Other Important Publications
| intl_coalition_perf_arts_aerosol_study_rnd_2.pdf |
| skagitchoirpractice.pdf |
| a_guide_to_2020-2021_season_planning.pdf |