Bloomington Chorale Sing-A-Long Will Benefit Your Health
Posted on Nov. 5, 2009
The Bloomingon Chorale is offering Northwestern Health Sciences University students, faculty, staff, alumni and their family and friends an opportunity to boost their health by singing. The Chorale is promoting healthy living by hosting a sing-a-long concert in the Northwestern auditorium at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6, 2009. They will be performing the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah and are encouraging everyone to join in.
Joanna Prokes, T9 chiropractic student, joined the Bloomington Chorale right after her second trimester at Northwestern. “I needed some artistic release,” Prokes admits. “I needed something completely different than what I was doing in the classroom. The Chorale became therapeutic. ”
According to Graham Welch, PhD, chair of music education at the University of Education, University of London, singing can have both physiological and psychological benefits. Singing is an aerobic activity that increases the circulation of oxygen in the blood and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body. Singing also reduces stress levels through the action of the endocrine system. A Harvard and Yale study showed that those who sing have a healthier heart and an enhanced mental state; as a result, they live longer.
Prokes emphasizes how easy it is to sing with the choir. “We bring all singers in and treat them like family,” she said.
Those who wish to join the Chorale onstage for the concert at Northwestern are asked to arrive early for rehearsal. All others who cannot make the rehearsal are encouraged to belt out the tunes along with the audience. “The Bloomington Chorale is excited to get a younger demographic involved in the singing,” Prokes said. “Our goal is to fill the auditorium.”
The Bloomington Chorale is a community based, non-audition, mixed adult choir that began in 1982. They put on two concerts a year, one in winter and the other in spring. The Chorale is always open to new members, especially men. For more information about the Bloomington Chorale or the concert at Northwestern please e-mail info@bloomingtonchorale.com.