Singing is good for you
A workshop hosted by Harmony Lincs Barbershop Chorus will be held at Bailgate Methodist Church on Saturday, February 22.
Members of the chorus point to the benefits of singing to people’s well-being and Opera North has produced a guide to highlight why opening up the vocal chords is good for you outlined below.
If you want to put the findings to the test and try close chorus singing the workshop will be held between 10am and 4pm and is open to all ages, abilities and genders.
For more information and to register your place Email Harmony Lincs at
1. Singing makes you feel better - there’s an increasing amount of evidence that singing releases endorphins, serotonin and dopamine – the ‘happy’ chemicals that boost your mood and make you feel good about yourself. Scientists believe that’s one of the reasons why people report being on a high during choir sessions and continuing to feel positive, uplifted and motivated afterwards.
Singing also counts as an aerobic activity as it introduces more oxygen into the blood leading to better circulation – and a better mood.
2. Singing enhances lung function - we often take our lungs for granted, but most of us rarely use them to their full capacity. The way singing requires you to breathe makes you do just that, increasing your lung capacity as well as engaging the muscles around the ribcage. That’s why singing has been used to help rehabilitate people recovering from lung conditions and to benefit people suffering from long Covid.
3. Singing helps you beat stress and relax - as well as benefitting our lungs, breathing properly and with more awareness is good for releasing anxiety and helping us transition to a state of rest and relaxation.
4. Singing helps improve memory - singing can help improve mental alertness, memory and concentration as it involves focusing on multiple things at once, engaging many areas of the brain in the process. Music is also increasingly becoming a feature of dementia care, in part because it has proved a powerful tool in sparking memories often long after other forms of communication have diminished.
5. Singing builds a sense of community - singing with other people, whether in the flesh or on screen, can help build connections and feelings of togetherness. Recent research has also shown that the sense of self-other merging we experience by synchronizing our voices with others is a great way to fast-track social bonding.
6. Singing boosts your confidence - many people get nervous at the thought of performing in public, but singing in a group can actually help boost your confidence and fire up your self-esteem – and the more you do it, the more confident you’ll feel. Good posture is also a key factor in hitting the high notes, so you’ll find you’re naturally standing taller by the end.
10. Singing is for everyone - the good news is, it doesn’t matter whether you think you can sing in tune or not: the health benefits will still be the same