Braunston
“Why is communal singing so compelling? We could ask … the songbirds, some of whom are known by their special, collective singing names: an ‘exaltation’ of skylarks … a ‘clattering’ of jackdaws, a ‘gaggle’ of geese or a ‘screech’ of gulls”.
This quote is from a book called Why We Sing, by Julia Hollander, a singing therapist, among other things. She goes on to talk about how birds, such as starlings, look for opportunities to sing together, as well as singing separately. Their brains release different chemicals, and they even change how they sing to blend with each other. Maybe the term “birdbrain” shouldn’t be an insult after all!
Singing together is really good for us humans too. You may remember me mentioning this before. We now have a date for starting our “Singing For Wellbeing” sessions; a simple, old-fashioned singalong. These will be at All Saints’ Church, Braunston, every first Saturday of the month at 3pm, beginning on the 7th October.
Like our bird friends, we all have different voices – some of us may feel that we’d fit in better with a ‘screech’ of gulls or a ‘gaggle’ of geese than an ‘exaltation’ of skylarks. Again, some of us might have had really mean choir teachers at school who made us feel ashamed of our singing. They were wrong!
Just think how glorious it is to hear the gulls screeching when you get to the seaside. Just like the birds, all our voices have a place, and using them is good for us – as individuals and as a community.
This is not a choir, not a rehearsal, not a performance, not religious (though the odd favourite hymn from school assemblies or rugby stands might make an appearance). You’re welcome to bring your favourite song. We’ll muddle along, blow the cobwebs out, and go home feeling better than we came in.