A young singer on the show “From the Top” once said he thought that people should burst into song while walking down the street. I witnessed something like that as I came out of the Steinway building opposite Carnegie Hall one rainy evening.

Under the awning were four choristers singing the solo quartets from the Mozart “Requiem.” No collection jar was present. They seemed to be in their own world, oblivious to the traffic, the rain, people walking by, and also probably oblivious to the favor they were doing their immune systems.

Although at that time, I was also oblivious to immune systems, singing had been a big part of my school and college years. In the community where I grew up, there were many opportunities for singing in informal groups, especially around Christmas time. Everyone knew the Christmas carols, as they were sung in schools, Sunday schools, and churches year after year.

Groups of neighbors would practice carols then go out wassailing on Christmas Eve to sing to those who put a candle in their window. At the end, was a party of cookies and wassail (a cider drink for the kids). Was all that singing staving off the flu?

Now as this holiday season starts, do your immune system a favor and find a place to sing, if you haven’t already. Many people participate in Handel’s Messiah sing-alongs all over the country and announced online or in local papers. Holiday songs abound, so it is no longer necessary to be a Christian.

Some groups advertise that it is even not necessary to have a “singing voice” or be in tune. Groups tend to be more fun, sound better, and have regularity, but there are those who just prefer singing along with their friends or the radio at odd moments.

At least two studies have shown improved immunity in singers. One showed an increase in the immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the blood after choral practice. A chorus in Frankfurt, Germany, had blood tests before and after rehearsing Mozart’s “Requiem.” Their hydrocortisone levels also improved, indicating calmer moods.

The next week the chorus underwent more tests before and after listening to a recording of the Requiem, but their immune systems were unresponsive. cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16405104

Another study, done at the University of California Irvine, tested saliva of chorus members before and after rehearsals and performance of Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis.” Increases were found in secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA), another indicator of immunity, and lower cortisol.

According to the study, choristers described the experience of performance as “a peak experience during which in the face of performance … anxiety, the performer has transcendent feelings of … exhilaration, mood changes, relaxation, musical concentration, satisfaction, and diminishing stress.” escholarship.org/uc/item/1qf5f7bc

The Senior Singers Chorale in Arlington, Va., is part of an arts program organized by the late geriatric psychiatrist Gene Cohen of George Washington University and Jeanne Kelley to study the effects of activity and creativity on seniors. The singers, ages 55 to 97, were found to have less depression, fewer visits to the doctor, and be on less medication.

The singers are coached by professional musicians and give performances around D.C. and various states. Anyone 55 and over can join, and there are no auditions.
retirement-living.com/article/44/study-shows-cultural-programs-improve-physical-and-mental-health-of-seniors

Bursting into song at this dark time of year seems perfectly natural, although we need our left brains to tell us why. Singing, like painting, is a gateway to the right brain. Children learn through songs, and adults with left-brain strokes relearn through singing.

Singing can beautifully express our positive emotions of praise, romance, or hope as well as blunt those of loss.
bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=46355

Don’t believe anyone, including yourself, who says you cannot sing. Just think-this instrument goes with you everywhere!