Around 11,000 singers recently descended on Auckland, in what has been described as ‘the Olympics of singing’, and the largest choral music event New Zealand has ever hosted – the World Choir Games.

What’s more, over 50 of the choirs involved came from New Zealand.

New Zealand Choral Federation chief executive Christine Argyle described the games as having all the hype of the Olympics, including a big opening and closing ceremony.

But you don’t need to be competing at this level to get involved with group singing. The NZ Choral Federation has around 218 choirs listed on its Find A Choir page, many of which are community choirs, existing purely for the fun and benefits the singing provides for its members. Argyle says the physical and mental benefits of choral singing are well documented.

“Singing is a great thing to do for the soul. We sing when we’re happy, and singing makes us happy.”

A recent article from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes how wide-ranging the benefits of group singing are, helping and even aiding recovery for patients with Parkinson’s disease, post-natal depression and some types of cancer. 

Matthew Jackson, son of the late Singing for Seniors founder, Dr Julie Jackson-Gough, says singing has a range of benefits for older people in particular, including:

• improving brain function and memory;
• increasing lung capacity and oxygenation in the bloodstream;
• boosting immunity by promoting a healthy lymphatic system (increasing antibodies and anti-stress hormones like hydrocortisone);
• clearing respiratory systems and sinuses;
• producing endorphins that increase emotional wellbeing;
• and improving sleep, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.

Jackson worked alongside his mother to bring choral singing to more aged care facilities around the country, with a focus on the therapeutic benefits for seniors in these settings.

Since his mother’s passing, the Singing for Seniors commercial service has been closed down, but the resources have been made available for free online in her honour.

“(My mother’s) programme gained widespread recognition in the aged care sector of New Zealand. It has been shown to enhance residents’ physical and mental health, foster social bonds, and even reduce healthcare costs by decreasing complaints and improving overall happiness,” Jackson says.

He says singing has the benefit of being able to be done sitting down, meaning that even those with mobility issues are still able to benefit, and exercise the muscles in the upper body.

Further benefits include helping to build confidence, as singers see their vocal range extend and there are benefits in terms of reducing depression through engagement of the whole brain and from the social connection involved.

If group singing sounds like you, the NZ Choral Federation suggests checking its website to find a choir nearby. You never know, you might find yourself at the next World Choir Games.