Reasons to Sing

"I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free." These words from the familiar hymn His Eye is on the Sparrow turn out not just be a statement of faith but a phenomenon backed up by science. As it turns out singing with others has been shown to increase endorphins, a hormone associated with pleasure. Singing with others also helps us connect to one another, it creates surges of the hormone oxytocin, the hormone that helps bonds moms and new babies.

One of the surprising things about singing is that you don't even need to be good at it to experience these benefits. Professional singers in these studies show no noticeable difference in the pleasures singing they experience, with their untrained colleagues. Other benefits include lowered blood pressure, easier breathing, decreased stress and increased relaxation. For more information, please see the full article by Dr. Mehment Oz and Michael Rolzen.

Aside from the science, as people of faith we have the added benefit of uniting our voices in praise of God. As a church choir, lifting our voices in worship is the most important and gratifying use of our humble gifts. The founder of the Methodist tradition, John Wesley reminds us in the "Directions for Singing" printed in our hymnals: "Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing." We invite you to join us in testifying to God's beauty, majesty and power in our lives this season.

Sanctuary Choir rehearsals resume Thursday, September 5th at 7pm and the Sisters in Song resume on Monday, September 9th. For more information about the music program contact Juan Carlos Acosta, Director Music Ministries.

More On The Benefits of Singing

Singing Changes Your Brain

Group singing has been scientifically proven to lower stress, relieve anxiety, and elevate endorphins

By Stacy Horn @StacyHornAug. 16, 201334 Comments

Getty Images

When you sing, musical vibrations move through you, altering your physical and emotional landscape. Group singing, for those who have done it, is the most exhilarating and transformative of all. It takes something incredibly intimate, a sound that begins inside you, shares it with a roomful of people and it comes back as something even more thrilling: harmony. So it’s not surprising that group singing is on the rise. According to Chorus America, 32.5 million adults sing in choirs, up by almost 10 million over the past six years. Many people think  of church music when you bring up group singing, but there are over 270,000 choruses across the country and they include gospel groups to show choirs like the ones depicted in Glee to strictly amateur groups like Choir! Choir! Choir! singing David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World.

As the popularity of group singing grows, science has been hard at work trying to explain why it has such a calming yet energizing effect on people. What researchers are beginning to discover is that singing is like an infusion of the perfect tranquilizer, the kind that both soothes your nerves and elevates your spirits.

The elation may come from endorphins, a hormone released by singing, which is associated with feelings of pleasure.  Or it might be from oxytocin, another hormone released during singing, which has been found to alleviate anxiety and stress. Oxytocin also enhances feelings of trust and bonding, which may explain why still more studies have found that singing lessens feelings of depression and loneliness.  A very recent study even attempts to make the case that “music evolved as a tool of social living,” and that the pleasure that comes from singing together is our evolutionary reward for coming together cooperatively, instead of hiding alone, every cave-dweller for him or herself.

The benefits of singing regularly seem to be cumulative. In one study, singers were found to have lower levels of cortisol, indicating lower stress.  A very preliminary investigation suggesting that our heart rates may sync up during group singing could also explain why singing together sometimes feels like a guided group meditation.  Study after study has found that singing relieves anxiety and contributes to quality of life. Dr. Julene K. Johnson, a researcher who has focused on older singers, recently began a five year study to examine group singing as an affordable method to improve the health and well-being of older adults.

It turns out you don’t even have to be a good singer to reap the rewards.  According to one 2005 study, group singing “can produce satisfying and therapeutic sensations even when the sound produced by the vocal instrument is of mediocre quality.”  Singing groups vary from casual affairs where no audition is necessary to serious, committed professional or avocational choirs like the Los Angeles Master Chorale or my chorus in New York City, which I joined when I was 26 and depressed, all based on a single memory of singing in a choir at Christmas, an experience so euphoric I never forgot it.

If you want to find a singing group to join, ChoirPlace and ChoralNet are good places to begin, or more local sites like the New York Choral Consortium, which has links to the Vocal Area Network and other sites, or the Greater Boston Choral Consortium.  But if you can’t find one at any of these sites, you can always google “choir” or “choral society” and your city or town to find more. Group singing is cheaper than therapy, healthier than drinking, and certainly more fun than working out.  It is the one thing in life where feeling better is pretty much guaranteed.  Even if you walked into rehearsal exhausted and depressed, by the end of the night you’ll walk out high as a kite on endorphins and good will.

Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/16/singing-changes-your-brain/#ixzz2cYINqbNc

POPS Repertoire

Just in case you wanted to hear some recordings of our POPS repertoire I have found recordings online that you can check out


Tico, Tico - The same arrangement we are doing, performed by a show choir! Just be thankful I'm not making you dance.

One Moment in Time - performed by a German choir?

Seasons of Love - CSU Long Beach (strong program)

Time Warp - The Glee version our arrangement is based on.

The Hand's of Time -  No decent choral recording, so here is a solo version.

NPR article - Singing with others changes your life

You may have heard this story on KPBS or seen it posted by friends on Facebook, but just in case I wanted to bring the article to your attention.

You can listen to, download or read a transcript of the story on NPR's website
http://www.npr.org/2013/06/03/188355968/imperfect-harmony-how-chorale-singing-changes-lives

I started to pull some high lights but I found that I was just recreating the article so take a few minutes to listen to it yourself, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Anthems - June 2013

Choral Anthems for June

June 2 - Beatitudes by Martin Chambers
There is no video for this piece yet, maybe we should record one. You may hear the computer version of the piece on his own website. I told Mr. Chambers that if we are feeling good about the piece we may try to do a recording.
http://choralcompositions.com/Scores_-_Recordings_-_Video.php

June 9 - Esto les Digo by Kinley Lange
Recording of the Phillipine Madrigal Singers. This is a world renown pro choir that does not use a conductor. It is a bit slow for my taste but one of the best recordings available on YouTube.

June 16 - A Song of Commitment by Don Besig and Nancy Price
I couldn't find a full recording of this one but there is a low quality 30 second sample available.
http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/mp3player.jsp?productID=3026697&song_url=/audio/3026697.mp3&song_title=Song%20of%20Commitment

June 23 - Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven by David Schwoebel
No YouTube video but there is an excellent sample recording provided by the publisher.
http://hinshawmusic.com/musicsample.php?folder=HMC2054&file=01%20Praise,%20My%20Soul%20The%20King%20Of%20Heaven.mp3

Schedule April-June 2013

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Upcoming Sanctuary Choir Events

Thursday night rehearsals: 7-9pm

Sunday worship: 9am call time, 9:30 service

Sunday, April 21       No Sanctuary Choir

Saturday, May 18     AGO Festival Rehearsal - 9:30-12:30   

Sunday, May 19        American Organist Guild Festival (6pm call, 7pm concert)

Tuesday, June 18      POPS Rehearsal - 6:30-8pm      

Thursday, June 20    POPS Dress Rehearsal (Mandatory) - 7pm               

June 21&22               POPS Concert (6:30pm call, 7pm concert)

Thursday, June 27   Final Rehearsal for season                    

TBA                              End of the season party

July-August                 Summer Choir (no weekly rehearsals)

Thursday night rehearsals: 7-9pm

Sunday worship: 9am call time, 9:30 service

Please sign-out on the choir calendar when you know you will be absent (particularly in the Summer), this helps us plan appropriately

Spring Anthemns - Volume 1

YouTube is an amazing resource that has really blossomed over the last five years. I wanted to share some pretty decent videos of some of the anthems we are doing this Spring.

Sunday, April 7th
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Gilbert M. Martin

Sunday, April 14th
Ain't Got Time to Die - Hall Johnson

(Just a hand held recording but a wonderful interpretation of this piece)

Sunday, April 28th
A New Commandment - Thomas Tallis

 

Sunday, May 5th

If Ye Love Me - Thomas Tallis

Andrea and I had the opportunity to hear this group do this piece in three different keys back to back as they demonstrated the different ways it could be adapted.


AGO Festival - May 19th
O Clap Your Hands - Ralph Vaughan Williams