Top 10 Reasons Why you should Join a Choir
I’ve been singing with London Philharmonic Choir (LPC) now for the last 3 years. I’ve recently had my re-audition so am confirmed for another 3 at least.
The question is – why do I sing with them? What possible reason could I want to spend evenings after a long hard day at work stuck in a room with 120 people?
Well here are my:
Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Sing in a Choir
1. You make so many new friends
I can’t count the amount of new friends I’ve made from the choir. They come from all walks of life, ages and parts of the world. Music breaks down barriers and there’s no better example of that than at a choir.
Do you love meeting new people? Join a choir – you’ll be in heaven.
2. It’s one of the best feelings
You do have to spend hours going over bars of music in rehearsals and compute all the instructions from the choral director, choir manager and conductor. Then you have the concert where you expel all your energy and outpour your emotion.
Nothing beats the feeling at the end of the concert though when the baton goes down and the audience erupts in applause. It’s a great sense of achievement and one of the best feelings you’ll ever have.
3. Singing is a great way to relax
No matter how much you love your job, work can be stressful and exhausting. At home there’s a whole load of other issues to deal with!
So after a long hard days sitting at a desk – singing will help take your mind off all the politics, deadlines and problems that seem to take over your life. Choir is a great escape – we all need to calm our minds sometimes.
4. Choirs are a great place to network
Although I didn’t go to choir with networking as one of my priorities – you do end up meeting members from all kinds of professions. You’ve got teachers, musicians, lawyers, doctors, marketers and students to name a few.
You never know who you’ll meet and what relationships you generate that could hand you the advice that makes all the difference to your career.
5. You get to go on tour sometimes
Not all choirs can, but touring is one of the occaisional treats of singing with LPC. We recently had a tour to Le Touquet in France and sang Beethoven 9 with three combined youth orchestras from around Europe.
It was a brilliant to work with such talented musicians. It was also brilliant to bond (get hammered) with my fellow singers over glasses of French wine.
6. You might get lucky
Single? Looking for that like-minded, creative and entertaining special someone? Get yourself to a choir.
I’m in the fortunate position of not having to look around – but for those speed-daters out there, go singing instead – it’ll be much more effective. There are a few married couples in LPC who would never have met if it wasn’t for a good old communal sing.
7. It’s good for your health
Studies have shown how choir can improve your health - I also believe it’s fantastic brain food. Brain game exercises are all over the place with the Nintedo 3DS or sudoku. Well why not start keeping your mind healthy by making music?
Here are a few things you’ll see improve with choir
- Multi-tasking - you’ve got to watch the conductor, keep an eye on the music and know when to come in
- Memory – you’ve got to sing off by heart sometimes
- Focus – concentrating for an hour on a performance
- Maths – Yes, you’ve got to count!
8. The stories from the veterans
Name droppers much? Yes – but then again, some of the singers in LPC have been members for 40 years! They’ve worked with some of the most renowned musicians of all time including Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard Haitink, Simon Rattle and Adrian Boult to name a few.
9. Your friends and family will love watching you perform
It’s great being able to invite your friends and family to your concerts – and you know what? They want to watch your concerts. They will be proud, no matter how well or badly you feel the performance went.
If they can’t make it and you’re lucky enough to get a review – they’ll be proud to see your choir in the paper!
10. Making music is privilege
The main reason I sing is the music. I love it, and choir is one way I cope with my unrelenting passion for putting notes together. Not everyone in the world is able to, and I can’t imagine what I would do without it – that’s why I think music making is a privilege.
Give it a go!
There are choirs of all shapes, sizes and styles and there’s one nearby that’s perfect for you. Give them a call, go along to a session, like an LPC discovery rehearsal for example – or just dive straight in. You’ll be under no obligation and you never know – you might still be there in 40 years time too!
About Rylan HoleyI'm the cellist with Silvermoths, member of London Philharmonic Choir, an occasional music blogger at holeytonal, digital marketer of corporate law and am a massive multicultural mashup mess. I live in East London but was born in Hong Kong and went to school in York. Also I'm half Vietnamese half English. Confused yet?
Loved your post… especially #10. Many (*MANY*) years ago, when I was just out of school and had started singing singing with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the incredible Margaret Hillis gave the chorus a little speech right before our first concert, telling us exactly the same thing… That there were so few opportunities in modern life that provided a sense of occasion, and doing this was a privilege. I never forgot that and remember it to this day before every concert I sing. Thanks!
As a fellow singer and LPC member, couldn’t have said it better myself! Especially number 10. Liked this v much!x
Rylan, you’ve left out probably the most important of them all – singing in a choir is probably the best way to train your ear for music.
So well said! And it’s a skill that translates around the world. I enjoy all of the above with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.
Yes! Could not agree more. I joined Thomas’s Choral Society over a year ago now having dropped singing since school… It’s one of the best things I’ve done since I graduated. Having got to know the other choristers, I am now involved in our conductor’s latest professional venture, and I get the privilege of hearing this: http://bit.ly/PftIxh on a regular basis! Who would look back after joining a choir?! Thanks for your post.
I think No. 2 is the main reason I do it. The adrenalin buzz at the end of some performances is so good. As a member of the Halle Choir I hope I get when we sing with you guys on August 10th at the Proms!