[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 60-03, July - September, 2006 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Keep singing, stay healthy

By Waldo Redekop, Editor/Publisher The Trillium 

In the August, 2006 issue of Reader’s Digest, an article on the benefit of singing, especially choral singing by Anne Mullins was drawn to my attention . I’d recommend that, if possible, you read it as it will make you realize how great it is to sing in a barbershop chorus, or any other chorus for that matter.

The article titled “Raise your voice in song and live a healthier, happier life” is about Anne who saved her life by singing while tied to a buoy in the dark on Georgian Bay in a severe storm. Best read the article to figure that out.

She says “Singing has gotten me through a lot in life. It has lifted my spirits when I was down. It has consoled me when I was grieving. It has taken away my worries and relieved my stress. It has renewed my energy—kayaking against a headwind, climbing a steep slope, even cleaning the kitchen floor is easier with a song.”

The author mentions that “hundreds of thousands of people are choral singing in Canada.”

It goes on to outline how good a chorister feels after singing and states “Scientific research in recent years has begun confirming what choristers have known for eons: Choral singing is good for both physical and mental health.”

It then quotes Dennis F. Tupman who summarizes recent journal findings: “It boosts dopamine and endorphins—the feel-good hormones—and reduces the perception of pain. [See article on page 23 this issue.] It protects against effects of Alzheimer’s disease and promotes healthy aging.

“People who sing get fewer illnesses and heal faster. Singers, even smokers and asthmatics, have healthier cardiovascular systems and better lung function. It reduces anxiety and can help lift depression. It helps children with learning disabilities learn to read and it has proven to boost the IQ of young children. And people who stutter don’t stutter when they sing.”

So, if you haven’t been out to a barbershop chapter practice (or other choral group such as the church choir) for a while, best get out and participate as soon as possible. It will be better for all of us if you do!     k