Do you know the benefits of singing together with others?
It’s good for your physical health, your well-being and happiness and a great social glue
It’s not that long ago that any mention of joining a choir would probably have conjured up thoughts of Sunday Mass. But there’s been a shift in those thoughts about joining a local choir. RTÉ programs like David Brophy’s Unsung Heroes Choir for carers indicate a trend of community choirs springing up all over the country. In Ireland music has been a social glue for centuries. Sharing songs and stories is in our blood.
Singing in a choir is beneficial in a number of ways. Research reveals that group singing not only helps forge social bonds, it does it particularly quickly, acting as an excellent icebreaker. Social Media purports to bring people together but nothing beats being in the same place, exercising the brain and the body and having fun doing it.
Singing in a choir is good for you!
Singing is particularly beneficial for improving breathing, posture and muscle tension. Listening to and participating in music has been shown to be effective in pain relief, too, probably due to the release of neurochemicals such as β-endorphin (a natural painkiller responsible for the “high” experienced after intense exercise). It also plays a role in sustaining a healthy immune system, by reducing the stress hormone cortisol and boosting the Immunoglobin A antibody.
Music is a deep-brain phenomenon going back thousands of years. Singing existed before we developed the spoken word. From my personal experience as a Music Therapist in the UK’s National Health Service I have witnessed the power of music to boost mental health, improve memory, and calm the soul. In fact Music Therapy is nothing new. From David soothing the soul of King Saul with his harp in the Old Testament to the use of music during the fascinating variety of healing rituals around the world. Using the instrument of your voice is one of the most powerful and fundamental actions of music making. And joining your voice with others brings it to a new level. Even if we don’t necessarily talk to everyone in our choir, we might experience a general feeling of being connected with the group, leading to our sense of increased community and belonging. Think of the singing of Amhrán na bhFiann before a rugby match.