NEWBURYPORT — It may seem like yesterday for many but the days of COVID lockdowns and social distancing began across the nation roughly five years ago.
On March 9, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will be marking the occasion with a choral prayer service at 5 p.m. featuring music from the Jubilate Chamber Choir, also known as an evensong.
“We want to commemorate everyone who died during the pandemic,” church pastor, the Rev. Jarred Mercer said. “It will be an opportunity for people to look back, grieve and reflect in a peaceful way that can hopefully help them move on from this.”
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is located at 166 High St., Newburyport.
Given strict social distancing rules that kept people physically away from loved ones dying of the virus, Mercer said there are still many who haven’t truly grieved for those lost during the pandemic.
“This is an opportunity for people in the city to remember those people and come together in a way to reflect, pray and have beautiful art as well,” he said.
Mercer is expected to lead the service. He said it will feature some truly beautiful music.
“The evensong has a rich, historic tradition reaching all the way back to the 16th century,” he said.
Mary Jodice, St Paul’s music director, founded the Jubilate Chamber Choir at the height of the pandemic in 2020 while at St. Andrews Church in Marblehead along with eight other singers.
Church services were shut down at the time but Jodice said the choir rehearsed each week wearing masks and socially distancing. Each month, the group would perform in an empty church and broadcast the performances on YouTube as well as Facebook.
“We reached thousands of people with our music and kept the church going with the incoming donations,” Jodice said.
Now five years later and based in Salem, Jodice said the choir has grown to include roughly 23 members of all ages and skill levels.
In August, the group will be making the trip to England to be part of a weeklong choir residence at Chichester Cathedral.
“This is really important. Usually only the large churches like Trinity Church in Boston get to do these things,” she said.
Jodie added she is looking forward to the March 9 evensong.
“I’m trying to get the choir out in front of people doing some evensong before we go to Chichester Cathedral,” she said. “It’s good for them to do it and we like to spread the great, beautiful music we do. We love church. The word is worth spreading and the music helps enhance that.”
Speaking of England, Mercer has a unique COVID story to tell.
On May 30, 2020, he moved to Newburyport from across the pond.
“Everything was locked down and my family and I had to quarantine in the house for a few weeks because we came from out of the country,” he said. “It was an interesting time to start here.”
By and large, the world has seemed to recover from COVID, according to Mercer.
“We’re resilient and go on but that was a time of loss, grief and trauma for many,” he said. “It was a time where life changed us and we’re not the same anymore. Having the opportunity to openly lament and grieve together as a community is really important in that process of moving on.”
Those looking to commemorate a loved one during the upcoming service can send their name to St Paul’s by way of email at stpauls@stpauls-nbpt.org or call 978-465-5351.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.