New paintings and regular art updates.
It was singing at the Church carol concert tonight. I felt proud, I think because I hadn’t been rehearsing due to my broken rib, people were surprised. I got a few compliments at church and when I got home a couple who had been up at the concert stopped to say I’d got a lovely voice!
Strangely when I was having a mince pie during the intermission I had a discussion about being agnostic with the local vicar! I don’t know what got into me!
Been to choir twice today
Morning songs, evening tunes
Now I’m tired and so I lay
On the chair, ready to sleep.
Music gave me a good day
Raised my spirits up in joy
Made me feel less dark I’d say
Summer returned
When that music did play…
What would your life be like without music?
I love singing harmonies in choirs.
Stiring sea shanties,
Soaring melodies
Deep, soulful folk songs,
Some pop songs from yesteryear.
Voices mingled
Low and high meld together.
Sopranos and Bass, Alto and Tenor
Winding and twisting around
Yes singing lifts me.
I’m watching a film called Yesterday starring Himesh Patel, Lily James and Ed Sheeran. The premise is that a failing musician has a bike accident when all the power goes off in the world for 12 seconds. He wakes up in hospital and when he gets out he finds out that none of his friends have heard of the Beatles (a 1960’s and 70’s pop group).
The story continues to tell the tale of his life and integrates Beatles songs into it. I don’t want to say much more, but it’s great to hear those old songs again. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up as I watched the film.
If you want to see something funny and life affirming on a wet Sunday night this is one worth watching.
Do you sing for pleasure, to earn money, to learn something new? Or for mental or physical health?
Singing is good for lung health. It can strengthen both your lungs, chest muscles and help improve your voice. It helps with breathing and can help control your worries. I’ve found it helpful with controlling anxiety. It doesn’t cure it, but it calms it. Yes you could get stage fright, but singing with a choir helps because you are singing with others and that supports all the participants. You learn together and grow together. After about 20 years of singing with the group we sound pretty good. New people join and the group changes, but we all enjoy going or we wouldn’t be there
Some songs are earworms, rolling round and round in your head. Others are hard to pick up. We sometimes drop a tone or sing flat. It’s hard as a low singer to hit the high notes. Some songs are really annoying, but others in the group love them. But as we are all different then we all like a variety of music. Participating is good for you. I’d recommend it to anyone.
What are your daily habits?
Habits? What are they?
Life turned upside down when I started caring for my hubby. Everyday was different and it was hard to do things the same each day. Then he died and things got even less organised. Since then I’ve tried to regulate my life. Going to choir has helped. I’ve been in choirs for twenty years and that habit has helped my mental health. If the rest of the week is confused and mixed up I can hold onto the knowledge that I will be going to choir. Other than that I enjoy art and try and hold onto that habit. I would be lost without it.
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
I love singing.
When I’m anxious it helps regulate my breathing. Concentrating on the music makes my heart swell with joy when we get it right. Time seems to flow. Music and song are so simple, so inate to being human. It brings joy to my friends too. We got together to sing for a friend recently. I’ve not included my friends faces because I haven’t asked their permission to use their images.
That’s the thing about anxiety, so many rules to remember and think about. What can I do? What should I do? But singing calms me, pulls my mind up and out of bad feelings. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of coping with anxiety. If you can take the first step and keep singing. X
I went out to Audlem yesterday to sing with our choir. Thankfully I got a lift there and back because I can’t drive that far.
We sang really well at the Music festival and managed to drown out a band that was playing across the road from us!
We had sung inside Audlem Methodist Hall for the first half and then outside in the garden for the second half. That’s where I saw this sculpture of two birds, I think they were doves, carved out of two tree stumps. I really would like to have a sculpture like this done in my own garden where I had to have a tree cut down because it was dying. I think whoever carved this is very clever.
Ugh!
Gotta bug!
Feeling ill and tired.
Didn’t sleep
Stayed awake
My throat sore
When I swallowed.
Feeling hot
Headache too
I don’t know
What I’ve acquired!
Better be well
I two days time
When singing
I will be
With a choir!
I’ve been to two choir sessions today, both are slighty different groups. So we learn different songs although the warm up is usually the same. I love singing different songs and it lifts me when I am feeling down.
I go to choir because I’ve been going for between 15 and 20 years. It’s my rock I can cling onto in a raging river of life. If I didn’t go I would be seriously lost. It helps my mental health and I believe it’s also good for my physical health but it’s getting harder and harder to keep going. I need to rest between songs and I get tired quicker. Also I have to drive to get to the groups and I have to be careful that I am safe to drive. I can think about all the journeys I used to make but I can no longer do them. That diminished possibility hurts me.
Mallaband-Brown