In October 2005, I formed a new choir at BMPC. Singing for Life (S4L) was envisioned as a musical group for singers of all experiences, age 55+. Why Singing for Life? I was concerned that we were not offering musical outlets for singers who perhaps no longer felt comfortable driving at night or could not meet the rigorous demands of the Sanctuary Choir. Within just a few rehearsals, it was clear that S4L was here to stay!
What I didn’t know then was that a movement was beginning to play out throughout the United States. Little by little, older adult choirs were popping up all over! Why has this become such a powerful movement?
Studies have shown that singing in a choir has incredible health benefits. Singing regularly improves one’s breath capacity (did you know your breath capacity decreases by 1% a year? Singing can stop that decrease). Singing with others has powerful mental health benefits. A good choral experience is also a physical workout that positively impacts breath, muscle strength, and posture. Local vocal expert Robert Sataloff describes the act of singing in a choir as a “Voice Lift!”
A typical S4L rehearsal includes deep breathing exercises and vocalization to help expand and strengthen your singing and speaking voice and focus on posture. Our repertoire includes both sacred and secular music. We also sing in various languages (studies link language learning with mental acuity). To date, we have sung in Italian, Japanese, Hebrew, English, and German, to name a few!
S4L rehearses on Thursday mornings, 9:30-10:45 a.m., beginning October 3 and culminating with a concert at Dunwoody on December 19. No experience is required. Led by Jeffrey Brillhart and Kara Goodrich (who made her Opera Philadelphia debut as Mimi in “La Boheme” in spring 2022), S4l will make you smile as you discover or re-discover the joy of making music with wonderful people. To register, contact
