That’s Not My Age

Choir photos courtesy of Thirdman for Pexels

Like robins and holly, choirs are associated with this time of year – and Carols from King’s (BBC Radio 4, 3pm, Christmas Eve) might be part of your big day build-up. I usually listen – and sing along, loudly – while cooking. Although I’m not religious, singing carols is something that links me with childhood, giggling at those alternative sock-washing lyrics for While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks. It also gives me a sense of connection to my Pa, because he always used to listen to it too.

My alto voice (lower than a soprano) is nothing special, but perfectly good enough for group singing, and I’ve been in choirs for over 10 years, like over two million others in the UK, according to the last Big Choral Census in 2017. I’ve sung classics in the Royal Albert Hall, carols by the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square (and a regular Christmas Eve gig in my local pub), and performed everything from South Pacific to Handel’s Messiah, in churches, theatres, halls and on the street.

What if I can’t sing or read music?

If you’re thinking ‘I’d love to but I haven’t got a good voice, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket!’, that’s unlikely to be true. Far too many people believe they can’t sing, usually because someone has told them that, but only a few in a hundred are literally tone deaf, meaning they can’t reproduce a note they hear.

Try la-la’ing a well-known tune to a friend, and as long as they can recognise it, you should be fine. And don’t worry about standing up in front of people who judge your voice before allowing you to join: two-thirds of UK choirs don’t hold auditions!

Being able to read music undoubtedly helps, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Practice and repetition will help the notes and rhythm sink in, and on your sheet music you’ll get to recognise roughly how a melody runs because the notes are moving up or down the stave (the five horizontal lines that the notes are marked on), even if you can’t name that note. If you’ve ever played an instrument – even if it was just the recorder at junior school, like me – you’ll find reading music comes back quickly.

Photo: Aaron Burden for Unsplash

Singing is good for you

Singing is good for the soul, we can feel that, but it’s also good for your health and wellbeing. So good, in fact, that University of Exeter researchers recommended that engaging with music by singing or playing an instrument should be considered as part of a lifestyle approach to improve brain health as we age.

Singing can also lower blood pressure, oxygenate the blood, boost your immune system and raise levels of ‘happiness hormones’. All that standing up straight helps to improve posture and deepens breathing.

And it’s not just your body that benefits. Concentration improves, because you have to focus on what you’re singing and pay attention to instructions. And on the social and emotional side, singing reduces stress and anxiety as well as easing depression . There’s also a ‘performance high’ from the pleasure of being part of a performance that the audience enjoy.

Personally, I always feel energised and positive after a practice.

Music and mingling

There’s a social side to choirs, too (apart from whispering to your neighbour about which bar we’re on). Most break for a tea or coffee and a chat during practice, some go to the pub afterwards, and there are days out, concert trips and fundraising events. I love being part of a joint endeavour, mastering tricky passages of music, being appreciated by an audience, and the opportunity to mingle with people I wouldn’t otherwise meet.

How to find a choir

There are thousands of choirs in schools, community groups, churches and workplaces, so whatever your musical taste you’ll find one that hits the right note. Your workplace may have a singing group, or check noticeboards outside churches and community halls, often used for rehearsals.

You can search by postcode on British Choirs on the Net which lists over 4,000 UK choirs, or just search online for choirs near you. Rock Choir, is the world’s largest contemporary-music choir, has around 30,000 members in the UK, singing pop, gospel and Motown, with no sheet music. Tuneless Choirs are for those who lack skill or confidence. There are over 30, with details on how to start your own if there isn’t one in your area.

Of course, choral singing isn’t just for Christmas. With New Year comes the chance to make resolutions, and taking up a new hobby is a very common one, so if all this strikes a chord, join a choir and find your voice in 2025.

Adrienne Wyper is a health and lifestyle writer and regular TNMA contributor. 

More ways to embrace the winter season HERE.