• Over 35,000 choir events on Eventbrite from March 2020 to March 2021
  • University of Oxford says singing has been shown to improve sense of happiness and wellbeing
  • Rock Choir invited whole country to join them in daily sing-a-longs

Not being able to get together in person didn’t stop the UK’s singers from attending choir rehearsals or holding events during lockdown, in fact they just kept on singing.

Data from Eventbrite reveals that there were over 35,000 choir events on the platform from March 2020 to March 2021, with singers rehearsing virtually and streaming events for people to enjoy during lockdown.

Singing has proved to be a fantastic antidote to lockdown, as it can bring many physical, emotional and social health benefits.  Research from University of Oxford says that ‘singing has also been shown to improve our sense of happiness and wellbeing’.   

The largest online event on Eventbrite was ‘A Celebration of Christmas’ in partnership with Lloyds Bank, which had almost 6,000 attendees enjoy the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir and City of London Sinfonia.

Rock Choir, the largest contemporary choir in the UK, didn’t let the pandemic stop their fun or giving enjoyment to others.  It not only continued to keep teaching 32,000 of its members through live interactive rehearsal sessions, but also invited the whole country to join them for a daily, uplifting and positive sing-a-long.

The choir also launched a new musical project ‘Rock Choir Rock Stars’ for children between six and 16, during the February half term so they could learn a pop song, singing and musical techniques.  In addition, it supported Mental Health Awareness Week with a 24-hour fundraising event that families could join in from their own home.

Caroline Redman Lusher the Founder, Creator and Creative Director of Rock Choir, commented:  “We’ve been looking after the well-being of the British public for 15 years now and I knew that we would need to ensure that we continued to support not only our Rock Choir Members but also the needs of the public as lockdown continued and anxiety, stress and difficulties developed through this time. Over the years, we have developed a unique formula in order to integrate contemporary music and singing into the lives of the public and I am proud that we’ve continued this through lockdown.”

Eventbrite’s Sabeha Mohamed said:  “Singing can bring huge joy to people.  We’re proud that Eventbrite has enabled so many choirs to keep rehearsing and performing virtually, bringing the UK together through music at a time when our mood has needed lifting most.”

Jacques Launay, Postdoctoral Researcher in Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford also said  in an article on The Conversation, ‘research has found … that people feel more positive after actively singing than they do after passively listening to music or after chatting about positive life events. Improved mood probably in part comes directly from the release of positive neurochemicals such as β-endorphin, dopamine and serotonin. It is also likely to be influenced by changes in our sense of social closeness with others.’