As a part of the lead up to the new choir season at St. Simon’s, I’ve been sharing weekly writings about the power of music and singing. I thought I’d share these writings here as well.

Renowned opera singer Renée Fleming has helped spearhead a collaboration among the National Institutes of Health, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts called “Sound Health” that supports research into the effects of music on the brain and the potential use of music and singing to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, stroke, chronic pain, mental illness, and more.

Singing has been a part of worship for as long as humans have existed. While in some religious traditions singing in worship is primarily done by a choir, in our tradition at St. Simon’s EVERYONE is encouraged to sing.

The healing effects of singing and its contribution to overall wellness are strongest when it is done in COMMUNITY. When we sing together as a congregation during the liturgy, we have the great privilege of contributing to our neighbor’s well-being simply by raising our voice in song.

So, the next time you feel apprehensive about singing during church, remember that by raising your voice in song, no matter how “good” it sounds, you are contributing to the sound that is a part of our collective worship of God as well as our healing and wellness.