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Contagious singing as Corona Community Chorus unites voices

NEW YORK (AP) - Casper ter Kuile lights a candle in front of his computer screen. And then the music begins.

All around the world, linked by video, more than 100 people sing 'œCome, Come Whoever You Are,'ť lyrics adapted from a poem by Rumi, the 13th century Sufi mystic. Then, laughing together, 'œKookaburra,'ť the Australian nursery rhyme. And then, in Hebrew, 'œHinei Matov.'ť

'œHow good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together'ť -- the words of King David from Psalm 133, a statement of optimism for a chorus that can only sing together virtually.

This is the Corona Community Chorus. Each Sunday, it meets on Zoom to unite voices in isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.

The chorus is hosted from the home of ter Kuile, a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School and the author of the upcoming book, 'œThe Power of Ritual.'ť Using instruments like the traditional Indian accordion known as the shruti box, he leads the group through a multilingual repertoire.

'œI remember thinking, '~You know, I'm not a doctor. I'm not a front-line person in any way,''ť he says. 'œAnd knowing that the best advice right now is for folks to stay home, I thought maybe I can help by creating something that will make staying home a little bit more enjoyable.'ť

The idea flourished in a Tweet: 'œIf I hosted a Zoom singing circle tomorrow at 1pm ET, teaching a few simple songs/rounds, who would be into that?'ť he asked. 'œReply if you're game!'ť

The response was surprising, he said. When he hosted the first meeting, dozens of faces from all over the U.S., Europe and Africa popped up in a grid on his screen.

'œI think for a lot of people, it was just a moment of really feeling connected,'ť ter Kuile says.

'œIn this moment, of course we are having to physically isolate, but that doesn't mean we have to socially disconnect.'ť

In the chat, participants thank ter Kuile, or praise his husband Sean Lair, a former classical singer, for his 'œangelical'ť voice. 'œThanks so much everybody for this magical music community,'ť says someone on Jacklyn's Ipad. 'œMy spirits are lifted.'ť

In Scots Gaelic, the group sings the chorus to 'œThe Boatman,'ť ter Kuile's favorite song, and ends with a simple but powerful message in this time of uncertainty: 'œDone nobis pacem,'ť Latin for 'œgrant us peace.'ť

'œYou know, I think of these songs as medicine for my mind,'ť ter Kuile says.

'œThat's really what I wanted to share: That there's so much skill in real medicine, in the hospital, but there are also ways in which we can care for ourselves and each other.'ť

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While nonstop global news about the effects of the coronavirus have become commonplace, so, too, are the stories about the kindness of strangers and individuals who have sacrificed for others. 'œOne Good Thing'ť is an AP continuing series reflecting these acts of kindness.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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In this March 29, 2020, photo, members of a virtual community choir light candles from their homes as seen from Casper ter Kuile's computer screen in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Sunday, March 29, 2020. Created to combat social isolation in times of coronavirus, more than one hundred people from around the world joined the hour-long sing along session. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) The Associated Press
Casper ter Kuile, left, and his husband, Sean Lair, lead a virtual community choir from their living room in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Sunday, March 29, 2020. Created to combat social isolation in times of coronavirus, more than one hundred people from around the world joined the hour-long sing along session. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) The Associated Press
Casper ter Kuile, left, and his husband, Sean Lair, teach the song "Hinei Ma Tov" to a virtual community choir from their living room in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Sunday, March 29, 2020. Created to combat social isolation in times of coronavirus, more than one hundred people from around the world joined the hour-long sing along session. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) The Associated Press
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