Hark — it’s not just herald angels singing. From choirs in care homes to choirs in cathedrals, from organized singalongs to children belting out “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” in school halls, voices are raised in song, and raised together. For some, this is the only time of year that such singing happens.
It feels as if this is how it has always been. But of course indoor singing was prohibited, along with all other communal activities, in March 2020. Apart from a few months when a couple of UK government-sponsored studies meant indoor singing was allowed in carefully distanced groups of six, amateur choirs as we generally know them were muted for more than 18 months. Much guidance about singing during that time went back to a paper about one superspreader incident in the U.S. early in the pandemic. As we said at the time, more information was urgently needed. That information is now available. Researchers recently concluded that most choir members who fell ill in the incident in Mount Vernon, Washington, had already been infected. Turns out that singing is no more dangerous, Covid-wise, than talking at a similar volume. I don’t sing because I’m happy. I’m happy because I sing.
There were many reasons why it mattered that choral activities were stopped. Pleasure, of course, in both the singing and — hopefully — in the hearing. Group singing, as the popularity of karaoke bars attests, is fun. It’s also accessible: despite the legions of people given the impression, often in childhood, that they can’t sing, nearly anyone can learn. And the only equipment required — one’s own body — is free. No instruments are needed.
Singing requires deep and regular breathing, which can have an immediately tempering effect on stress levels, and a more long-term effect on lung capacity. Controlled breathing releases endorphins and activates parts of the brain related to emotion. The psychologist William James was on to something when he said: “I don’t sing because I’m happy. I’m happy because I sing.”
Singing with others gives a sense of connection, of teamwork and togetherness, without the requirement for conversation. But this doesn’t mean it’s passive: the singer must both make an individual effort and listen to others. As singing provides goals (working toward a performance, for instance, or just learning a new song), it can produce a sense of achievement, which can improve confidence. It can also boost memory. Young children across the world learn everything from alphabets to the complexity of relationships through song.
Singing demands the singer be in the moment, rather like meditation, or sport. There is even some evidence that it may help to sustain a healthy immune system. Choirs have been used to support people struggling with their mental health; they can help with dementia, brain injuries, cancer care, even with pain relief. Singing can be prescribed by GPs. The reasons for the ban were understandable. But communal singing should in future not be so easily lost. It’s for life, not just for Christmas.
