In order to sing many things have to work together in your head as well as your body. Singing is both a physical and mental workout and gives a sense of wellbeing and camaraderie.
Physically, 140 muscles are involved in singing and many different regions in the brain have to work together and be co-ordinated.
Consider all of the following which all happen in different areas in your brain and require coordination.
Looking at the text, the music and the MD. Ideally you would learn the text off by heart so that you only need watch the MD.
Listening to yourself, your fellow singers and the accompanist. A choir should sound as one voice.
Producing a sound.You have to think first of what sound you want to make before making it. Controlling your breathing and breath support. You have to prepare to come in together and confidently
Interpreting the text – purely singing the notes and making the sound doesn’t connect with your audience. Your audience want to feel something when you sing. If the whole choir feels the text then a powerful message will come across. That is the main reason I believe a group of singers can have a bigger impact on an audience than a solo voice.
Your emotional connection to the text. Each song will mean different things to different people. If you are indifferent about a song then imagine some meaning or see if you can find a similar experience in your past.
If the song has choreography, keeping in time with the rest of the choir is another skill to be acquired. Keeping in time with the music requires a sense of rhythm and pulse.
Counting is bizarrely enough a difficult skill whilst also doing everything else. It’s not until you learn to sing that you realise how hard it is to count to 4.
Exercise
Be mindful of how amazing your brain and body are in order to be able to sing.
