# New Year's Resolution - why don't you go and join a choir or orchestra....



## Johann Sebastian Bach (Dec 18, 2015)

Despite my "new member" status, I've been most impressed with the amount of knowledge on this forum.

It's not always clear whether individuals are actively involved in *doing* music (rather than listening to it) so I'd like to encourage those members who don't *do* music to seek out a local choir or orchestra.

Singing helps your breathing, your cardio-vascular system, reduces stress and it's a social activity.
Orchestral playing has the same benefits - and keeps the grey matter ticking over nicely.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/772802/five-reasons-why-you-should-sing/

In the UK, there's a website which will give you a list of choirs near you:

http://www.gerontius.net/

And the above research isn't new. This is William Byrd:

Reasons briefly set down by th'author, to perswade every one to learne to sing.

First, it is a knowledge safely taught and quickly learned, where there is a good Master, and an apt Scholler.
2 The exercise of singing is delightfull to Nature, & good to preserve the health of Man.
3 It doth strengthen all parts of the brest, & doth open the pipes.
4 It is a singular good remedie for a stutting and stamering in the speech.
5 It is the best means to procure a perfect pronounciation, & to make a good Orator.
6 It is the onely way to know where Nature hath bestowed the benefit of a good voyce : which guift is so rare, as there is not one among a thousand, that hath it.
7 There is not any Musicke of Instruments whatsoever, comparable to that which is made of the voyces of Men, where the voyces are good, and the same well sorted and ordered.
8 The better the voyce is, the meeter it is to honour and serve God there-with : and the voyce of man is chiefely to bee imployed to that ende.
"Omnis Spiritus Laudes Dominum" 
Since Singing is so good a thing, I wish all men would learn to sing.

There's any number of amateur choirs and orchestras near me, all catering for slightly different types of interest. They have two things in common: they're welcoming and enormously fulfilling!

Go try it!


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

I play the piano on my own and sometimes chamber music with friends, but have never learned to sing. I would like to.

I'm thinking about looking for an entry-level choir.


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## Johann Sebastian Bach (Dec 18, 2015)

isorhythm said:


> I play the piano on my own and sometimes chamber music with friends, but have never learned to sing. I would like to.
> 
> I'm thinking about looking for an entry-level choir.


Delighted to hear that, isorhythm. 
I belong to the US ChoralNet site which is a wonderful community of choral directors around the world (but mainly in the US). There's a list of US choirs here:

http://www.choralnet.org/list/choir

and

http://www.van.org/choirdirectory.htm

and, in NYC

http://choir.meetup.com/cities/us/ny/new_york/

A quick Google search of Choirs in NYC gave a long list, showing choral music to be as strong in the US as it is here in the UK.


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