Researchers found these astonishing facts! (but of course singers already know this!) published in The Mail on Sunday May 2016.
- Singing in a choir beats loneliness and makes you feel part of a meaningful group.
- Singing sessions helped Parkinson sufferers with speech problems.
- COPD patients found singing improved their lung capacity, strengthened their voice and reduced their feelings of being short of breath.
- Chorists have a great anti-depression tool as singing in a choir reduces mental distress dramatically.
- Music can access a part of the brain that remains unaffected by dementia. From my own experience: a choir member who could not speak anymore, but she could sing.
- Singing lowers your blood pressure and relieves stress immediately! We know the feelings of relief and joy when we sing… so that’s why.
- Study after study has found that singing relieves anxiety and contributes to quality of life.
- When we sing together, our pulses speed up and slow down at the same rate. Instant human synchronicity! How beautiful is that?
- Research in the US showed that some people with brain damage improved thanks to the so-called Melodic Intonation Therapy involving singing and tapping rhythms.
- Singing in a choir for just one hour strenghtens your immune system! A spectacular find after a study among cancer patients and their families.