Challenge Yourself: Join A Choir

To perform or not to perform, that is the question.

Much has been said about the benefits of singing, especially in a group. Studies show it can improve mood, relieve stress and even boost the body’s immune defences. For an introvert like myself, however, I have to wonder: is it worth picking up a hobby that means I’ll not only struggle as a beginner, but also be required to perform in public? Many hobbies are practised privately; by definition, choir singing is not one of them. Does the promise (or threat) of this end goal affect the experience? Is joining a choir an activity better suited for extroverts?

These were the thoughts going through my mind as I made my way to my first choir practice. I used to sing in a tiny choir at school and often asked myself what it might be like to be part of a grander artistic effort. Perhaps it would be fulfilling, and could be a way, too, to meet like-minded people and make new friends. I decided to give it a try – even if it meant facing my fear of performing.

First Rehearsal: All Fun And Games

As everyone enters the large practice room, I feel excited: this choir has more than 100 members, and I am very much looking forward to being part of something bigger than myself. We’re in a kind of auditorium, with countless chairs arranged in a semicircle and grouped by vocal range.

I nervously approach the biggest group of ladies in the room: the sopranos. Since I don’t know what my vocal range is, it was recommended that I join them for the first rehearsal. At this point, I have absolutely no idea what I’m getting myself into, so I’m going with the flow and trying to relax – as much as is possible in a room with 100 strangers. The director eventually arrives and introduces himself. He’s humorous, though there’s an intensity about him that gives me pause. 

Gradually, the director reveals the season’s repertoire, and it is wonderful. Consisting of carefully curated songs from all over the world, it’s a mix of world music, classical and pop in nine different languages. Among them is a piece I absolutely adore: Christopher Tin’s “Sogno di Volare”, the theme song to the video game Civilization VI using a text by Leonardo da Vinci as lyrics. From this moment on, I am hooked – and ready to sweat my way through Haitian Creole.

Fourth Rehearsal: Facing Adele

Week by week, song by song, I begin to truly enjoy singing in the choir. Unexpectedly, I catch myself singing in Creole on the way to the gym and in Spanish on the way back, and it puts me in a cheerful mood. Even on difficult days, singing never fails to give me a renewed sense of joy. On top of that, practising keeps me motivated to do better next time, and my singing seems to be generally on point. Or so I think.

One day, the director announces that he will be holding auditions to select a core group of singers for special exhibitions, including a performance at a prestigious theatre. “I will be in the adjacent room. If you think you belong in the core group, come with me,” he says. I remain firmly seated in my chair. “If you’re uncertain, come anyway,” he adds.

I ponder over it for another five minutes, then decide to take the risk. In the corridor, a group of equally nervous ladies is waiting for the director to call us in – everyone at the same time. I look at the door behind me, longing to leave, but decide to stay. 

The director lets us in and tells us that we will each sing Adele’s “Skyfall”, plus another song, in front of everyone. This partially reassures me. By this point, we’ve all practised “Skyfall” several times, and I had noted down all the weird changes in rhythm, the syncopated ‘together’, and the crescendos on my music sheets. As the piano starts, my heart is pounding, yet I’m also relatively confident.

Except that I botch it. I don’t know what went wrong: I’m matching the pitch, I feel secure, but I don’t sound comfortable with my breathing, and I struggle with the high notes. I’m not sure I’m respecting the subtle rhythm changes, either. My failure crystallises with the second song – a very high-pitched one. I sound like a falsetto hen, and the director says, “Next!”

Sixth Rehearsal: The Parting Glass

I start to painfully realise that my singing is not quite as on point as I believe. And no, one cannot hide among a choir, not even a large one. There will inevitably be tough parts that require more than just a few voices, and your silence will count. Worst, it will affect the performance so many people have worked so hard towards.

After two months of rehearsals and countless music sheets, notes, sore throats and copious amounts of water, I still struggle to follow the sopranos. Maybe I would be better off in the altos? Either way, I need more practice, some mentoring, and a lot of work if I want to sing at the concert in two months’ time. Instead, I decide to quit.

Truth is, the effort required was vastly beyond my expectations. If you’re new to choirs and not particularly experienced with singing, joining a choir involves a sizable commitment in terms of time and energy. For that reason, it’s important to start small. A smaller choir with a short, easy repertoire would have been a better choice, or perhaps an informal group that goes Christmas carolling, for instance. After all, not all beginners can go full Adele on day four, or successfully work with a director they disagree with. If you’re considering joining a choir, don’t be afraid to seek out and try different groups in order to find the one you click with best. 

Beyond the immediate outcome, though, singing in a choir perceptibly improved my mood for months and taught me that singing is something I can rely on when I’m feeling down – a great benefit, to be sure. It also gave me an outlet to probe my singing capabilities – something so hard to judge in the privacy of the shower – all while making me aware of my limits. What’s more, once I realised that I wasn’t that great, I started singing at home to simply have fun and feel good, without the pressure, and it felt very liberating. 

The biggest takeaway, though, was that I should never, ever pick Adele at karaoke, no matter how confident I might be feeling.