It's official ....

On another page you can read about the positive effect that singing in the choir has had on those of us in the choir, but on this page are more ‘uninvolved’ reports ...


SING OUT YOUR STRESS

by Catherine Chetwynd
07 Nov 2007

Topic: Business, Careers
Are you feeling the pressure? Is the tension at work becoming unbearable? If so, Catherine Chetwynd comes up with a suggestion that is not only very simple in its execution, but comes highly recommended by the health profession for relieving all the usual anxieties

It's official, singing is good for your health, according to research undertaken by Dr Stephen Clift, professor of health at the Centre for Health Education and Research at Canterbury Christ Church University College. 'We found 52 public reports on singing which have some relevance to well-being and health,' he says. 'If you ask any group of singers, they talk about increased happiness and sense of well-being, enhanced posture, deeper breathing, stress relief and they forget their worries.

'To some people, singing is almost a life-saver,' says Clift. 'It helps them cope with depression, anxiety and bereavement; and people who have a stroke and lose the ability to speak can still sing. It can also be good for asthmatic conditions.'

You can read the full article here.


CHORAL singing is good for health, a Swedish psychologist has reported, after conducting research into the long tradition of choral music in Sweden.
The psychologist, Dr Maria Sandren, from the University of Stockholm, will be presenting her findings at a seminar in Canterbury Christ Church University’s new centre in Folkestone on 29 April 2008.
Sweden is a good place to study the effects of choral singing because one in five Swedes sing in a choir, she said. “Results indicated that choral singing had strong effects on the well-being, in that positive emotions increased significantly, and, in turn, negative emotions radically subsided. Choral singers, particularly women, are happier, more alert and relaxed after a rehearsal.”
Much less was known, however, about how the content of songs affected the singers’ health, Professor Stephen Clift, the director of the research centre that organised the seminar, said last week. But there was anecdotal evidence: at a recent performance at the university of Verdi’s Gloria and Rutter’s Requiem “a number of singers referred to the religious character of the music and the impact it had on them.”


Also, whilst not strictly about health this does show the appeal that choral singing has for some of us - in fact though not with us for 70 years(!) at least 5 members of our choir in 2010 have been with us for over 10 years!