Six Emotional and Physical Benefits of Choral Singing

If you are looking for excuses to join your school or church choir or even the The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, here is some great scientific backup to keep your inner choir light burning.

A recent article was published by CMUSE that lists the amazing benefits of singing in a group.

Strengthen feeling of togetherness.

Research led by psychologist Nick Stewart of Bath University indicates that people who participate in a choir enjoy a greater feeling of togetherness and being part of a collective endeavor than others involved in different social activities.” See more details of the study.

Regulate heart rate.

“Researchers discovered that members of a choir saw their heart rates beat in unison in relation to the speed of their breathing. Heart rates were directly affected by the melody of the music, and the pulses of those tested rose and fell at the same time when they sung in a group.” See more details of the study.

Reduce stress levels and depression.

“A number of studies have pointed to the mental health benefits of singing. One study lasting for a year involving participants who had been diagnosed with depression found that some of them no longer met that diagnosis following their involvement with a choir.” See more details of the study.

Improve symptoms of Parkinson’s and lung disease.

See details of the study.

Improve feeling of social well-being.

“[Nick] Stewart’s study found that participants in choral singing reported a higher rate of social well-being on one of the measures than solo singers.” See more details of the study.

Increase life expectancy?

“You may at first be a bit surprised to see we’re claiming this to be a benefit of choral singing. But a joint study by Harvard and Yale Universities published in 2008 did in fact find that this was the result of a group of people participating in choir in a Connecticut town.” See more details of the study.