Community choirs – providing health and social care?
While on holiday last week I woke up one morning to hear John Humphries on Radio 4’s Today programme interviewing a choir leader and a professor of music education on the benefits of singing in choirs. So many positive features were identified that Humphries was led to exclaim “it is complete health and social care!”
This got me thinking. Many people probably see health and social care as being delivered by dedicated services rather than as something that could also be derived from taking part in pleasurable activities. However, it is not unusual to spend time looking after many of our health and social needs through mutual support and taking care of ourselves without any interventions from professional practitioners, so why not expand the concept of ‘health and social care’ to include activities such as singing?
Singing is said to be good for the heart, lungs, immune system, brain functioning and emotional wellbeing (see for example an article in the Guardian last autumn). Singing with others brings additional benefits of friendship and social support which in turn can enhance our health and wellbeing. Many people, myself included, have thought they could not sing, perhaps due to earlier negative experiences, but have discovered that in a supportive environment with the right instruction they can sing and enjoy it. This inclusive approach to singing is supported in the UK by the Natural Voice Practitioners Network who view singing as everyone’s birthright. Now that evidence is emerging of the health and social benefits could we promote the creation of thousands of community choirs as a desirable public health objective?
April 21st, 2009 at 11:12 am
An excellent example of just how wide we might understand health and social care to be.
I remember at my daughter’s nursery they used to start the day with a song and growing up in Sweden as a child we always ended the school day with a song – it leaves the group feeling relaxed, happy and up-beat whatever the day has brought, and it has as you say all sorts of wider health benefits. Just think how much less stressed the world would be if we could all do that every day!
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I was thinking along the same lines. I attended a rural primary school where singing and outdoor activities played a big part in our daily routine. The headmaster was old fashioned and strict but very fair and we started the day singingng his favourite scottish songs and ended with a song before home time. We all worked hard and spent most afternoons outside, weather permitting, playing cricket or rounders or just naming wildflowers. I think it was a very balanced and grounded education and singing was something to be embraced and enjoyed. I am one of those who now feels she can’t sing and this has set me thinking.
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
What about the sense of solidarity that comes from singing particular songs with others? Am thinking especially here of how often Americans sing their national anthem – at the beginning of the school day, at baseball games…. When I’ve witnessed this I’ve marvelled at the feeling that doing so is not an enforced monotonous task for them and, to an outsider at least, it appears that is creates a very positive sense of community – which must have an effect on people’s wellbeing surely? Have wondered if it would be the same in the UK if it was encouraged here
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Agree with this-singing gives a wonderfu sense of solidarity-as well as being good for the lungs(i think). An advantage of church going was the rousing hymns. pity this is no longer so much par of life in uk