Why do we sing in a choir?

  • Social Bonding: Singing together creates a fast sense of community and social cohesion—even among complete strangers who have only sung together for a single hour.
  • Reduced Loneliness: Choristers report feeling more content in their relationships, more connected to friends outside of rehearsals, and more optimistic about the future compared to the general public.
  • Group Synergy: Collaborative musical effort fosters shared purpose, which yields higher psychological well-being than singing alone

New members always welcome!

At any given time we have approximately twenty-eight members. We are always looking for more gentlemen to join us and if you are at all curious as to whether this is something that you would enjoy, then we strongly encourage you to come along to one or two of our rehearsals.

There is no requirement for you to be able to read music, a number of our members can’t. You’ll find that you can pick up tunes by singing them. And if you feel you can’t sing, well we can probably prove you wrong!

If you would like to meet some of us in a more relaxed environment you will usually find a number of us in The Railway Tavern, Newport (a two minute walk from our rehearsal venue) after rehearsals each Monday.

We rehearse each Monday evening, 7:30 pm until 9:30 p.m. in the Trinity Church, Wellington Road, Newport. You will be made very welcome and of course, there is no commitment to join us on a permanent basis, just see how it goes for a week or two.

Trinity Church, Wellington Road, Newport

What else is in it for me?
  • Cardiovascular and Heart Function: Group singing synchronizes heart rates among members as they breathe and phrase together, helping regulate heart rate variability.
  • Respiratory Health: Controlled, deep breathing and extended exhalation strengthen lung capacity, improve respiratory muscle tone, and assist individuals managing conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or Long COVID.
  • Hormonal and Immune Response: Choral singing lowers the stress hormone cortisol while releasing “feel-good” and bonding hormones such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Single rehearsals have also been shown to increase immune proteins like cytokines and Immunoglobulin A.
  • Pain Management: The controlled exhalation and endorphin release help suppress chronic pain and elevate pain tolerance.
  • Neurological Support: Regular singing stimulates multiple regions of the brain simultaneously (linking language, rhythm, and emotion) and assists patients with Parkinson’s disease or dementia by improving posture, verbal fluency, and speech. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  • Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Focused breathwork and emotional expression activate the vagus nerve, which helps calm the nervous system and decrease anxiety.
  • Lower Depression Rates: Long-term studies show that participating in choir groups significantly lessens depressive symptoms and feelings of isolation, with some participants eventually falling below clinical thresholds for depression.
  • Cognitive Enhancement: Lifetime involvement in group singing correlates with stronger episodic memory, mental alertness, and verbal fluency.
  • Self-Esteem: Active participation builds personal confidence and emotional resilience. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]