Seaford Scene August 2019

seaford choral
society
As good as a big hug and a bar of
chocolate (but without the calories)
As we started singing on Saturday evening, and smiles
started to break out on faces around the Baptist Church
it was obvious just what singing can do for singers and
audiences. We even had the composer of one of our
pieces (The Lord’s Prayer, by Chris Whitelaw), and he
was enjoying it on a level to which few of us can aspire.
These are his sentiments following the performance.
‘It was with enormous pleasure that Seaford Choral
Society granted me the privilege of hearing one of
my own compositions, a setting of The Lord’s Prayer. I
wrote this sitting at a refectory table at College, as an
assignment for my degree. It was delightful to hear it
sung so well, with meticulous attention to dynamics,
tempo and phrasing which, under Colin’s direction is a
hallmark of this excellent choir. Thank you.’
‘Sumer is icumen in’, announced the first of the rounds
that started the concert. Following a rendering of what
has been described as the saddest music ever written
(Dido’s Lament by Henry Purcell, the concert finished
with a rousing Disney medley with music from a wide
range of Disney shows. Though many singers started
rehearsals with some doubts they had a whale of a time.
It was all very supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Children
were dancing in the isles. People sat spellbound as our
own Ruth Whitelaw explained, in the lilting song from
Cinderella, that a dream is a wish your heart makes
when you’re fast asleep (complete with Micky Mouse
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ears). We were even treated to Clarke’s Prince of
Denmark’s March (wedding favourite) on a hose pipe.
Humans are wired for rhythmic togetherness; from
choral singers, musicians, dancers, to rowers, the science
is providing increasing evidence that we bond best when
we are making music with each other. Studies show that
choral singing improves our mood, with a decrease in
stress, depression and anxiety. There are many beneficial
effects of singing together, from getting more oxygen
into the blood, to increasing the flow of feel-good
hormones. Just think about the pleasure of slowly eating
a delicious bar of chocolate. That’s your endorphins
being released. Singing has the same effect. On the other
hand, your stress hormone levels fall more quickly when
you sing. Whilst this is going on your oxytocin levels rise.
That’s the same as giving somebody a big hug. All the
people around you suddenly seem lovely, and you feel
like a part of it. You must have felt that tingle down your
spine when you hear your favourite music. That’s your
dopamine pumping out. So, for feelings of stress-free,
spine-tingling, loved-up, chocolate bar pleasure, just come
and join in with some singing.
Coffee time is just as important. Socialising is great
with all those hormones slopping about, even if it’s not
normally your thing. Choir members say: ‘Afterwards
it feels like I’ve been to the Gym’. ‘I’m just buzzing’.
‘I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from it’.
Not a confident singer? It doesn’t matter. We have 90
members. There’s safety in numbers. Nobody is going to
push you out onto a stage.
SCS has been doing its bit for mental and physical health
in Seaford for over 100 years. From our recent success
with a Disney Medley, we will be attempting Rutter’s
magnificent Magnificat as an opener for our Autumn
concert (30th November). It should be good for a few
pleasure hormones so please think about coming along
to give it a try.
We start singing at 7.15pm at the Baptist Church. Be
there at 6.45pm on to collect the music. You will get a
wonderful SCS welcome.And if you just want to come
along to watch and listen many of the health benefits still
hold. You can now reserve your tickets online by going to
our web site. You can still call in at Newberry Tully’s for
your tickets if you prefer.
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