​Why should you consider joining Epiphany’s choirs?

By Jay Wilcox

Singing is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, and at least 50 of those are commands to sing to God. If that isn't enough motivation, consider that research has shown that singing in a choir has many benefits, musical, physical, social, mental, and spiritual! Here are some of the reasons you should consider joining a choir at Epiphany:

1. Singing is good for you physically.

• Singing helps to focus on your breathing and posture and strengthens the muscles of your core.
• It regulates your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure. It releases neurochemicals such as β-endorphin, a natural painkiller.
• It reduces the stress hormone cortisol and boosts the Immunoglobin A antibody, improving your immune system.
• It boosts your energy levels.
• A joint study by Harvard and Yale Universities of a choir in Connecticut suggests that singing in a choir may actually increase your life expectancy.

2. Singing is good for your brain.

• Learning and experiencing new things helps to stimulate and create new neural pathways in the brain, improving brain health.
• It improves memory.
• It improves your listening skills.
• You learn great works and expand your knowledge and appreciation of music.

3. Singing is good for you socially.

• Our choir is a loving, supportive, and welcoming group, and we all need that in our lives.
• Choral singing helps form friendships and does so more rapidly than in other settings.
• Being in a choir builds a sense of community as you work with friends toward a common goal.

4. Singing is good for your mental health.

• It decreases anxiety and reduces stress levels.
• It improves your mood by releasing positive neurochemicals such as β-endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin.
• Learning music and singing it with others gives a sense of achievement, which boosts confidence.
• It helps to provide balance to your life by providing a pleasurable, stress-relieving activity outside of your regular work and other commitments.

5. Singing in our choirs is good for your spiritual life.

• You sing great texts of the faith and increase your knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
• By combining words with music, choral singing can help you to remember scripture and prayers.
• Your singing can be a form of prayer.
• It can help you personally to connect with God.
• You not only benefit from singing great music, but you use your talents and skills to help others to come into the presence of God.

6. Singing in a choir is just plain GOOD.

• It is fun, and the better you become, the more fun it is!
• It engages your body, mind, and spirit.
• You get to express yourself creatively.
• Singing in harmony with those around you with the common goal of creating something beautiful can create moments of profound awe and satisfaction.

To join our Parish Choir, you don’t need to be able to read music, and you don’t need to be able to sing like Pavarotti! You just need to enjoy singing, want to learn, and to become part of a group committed to serving the Epiphany community by enhancing our worship. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at the church or email me at [email protected].