Discover Wellness in the Lancaster District: Lancaster District Male Voice Choir

Hi, I’m Jenny and I am the Community Health Officer at Lancaster District CVS, responsible for administrating our fantastic community resource – the Digital Directory of Services – https://directory.lancastercvs.org.uk

Singing is Good for You!

In our latest Health and Wellbeing blog we are focussing on singing!  

2024 was the year that the Lancaster & District Male Voice Choir (LDMVC) collected a new set of groupies: The LDCVS team!  

Back in April last year, Chas Matthews (chair of LDMVC), popped into the CVS office with a request for help. The choir were in need of more members and he hoped we could help. 

Of course, we said, we would do what we could to help 

So began a year of attending concerts and rehearsals, chatting to their existing members and helping to find vital funding for their big 125th celebration in October.  

“I started the year not having heard of the LDMVC but by the time they performed at our Festivol at the end of November I felt like an old friend and, yes, a proper groupie!” Jenny, Community Health Officer.  

Back in September we went to join them for one of their practice sessions (they rehearse on Tuesday evenings at Scotforth Methodist Church in South Lancaster), to get a behind the scenes feel for how the choir operates. The room filled up with men of all ages, chatting and sharing the week’s news. They lined up depending on their vocal range (Men are usually divided into four groups: countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass.)   They were practising for a very special event, their 125th birthday, performing at the Ashton Hall where the choir also performed in 1910 to celebrate the opening of Lancaster town hall.  They will also be singing a song by Edgar Elgar which was specially composed for the LDMVC for their concert in 1910.  

Led by Jude, their fantastic musical director and beautifully accompanied by Tanya on the piano they began. Within minutes we had goosebumps as the men hit the high and low notes and the room filled with the beautiful sound that only a traditional Male Voice Choir can present.   

After each song, Jude would give them “notes” and ask them to repeat small sections of songs, reminding them that the Ashton Hall was “a big place and they needed to sing their socks off!”  

During the break we spoke to a few members to find out why they were part of this grand tradition. 

“Joining the choir is absolutely the best thing I have done. It‘s great fun and the people are so positive and affirming” Paul said, who joined in 2022. 

Soon after the break we left the men to it and slipped out of the rehearsals with the moving sounds of “You Raise Me Up” ringing in our ears. What a privilege to have been invited to witness the men in action. 

The benefits to your mental and physical health of singing and joining a choir are well proven and include; increased confidence, reducing isolation and helping with physical and mental health.  

Across our district there are many different types of singing groups; 

Some of our choirs, like LDMVC, have long historical traditions, regularly perform in public and on joining you can benefit from really learning the craft from experts and being part of something with stature and formality while still a very welcoming community of like-minded people.  

 If you aren’t sure about joining a formal choir you could try “Sing Me Sunshine” who meet fortnightly in Torrisholme Jubilee Club, belting out tunes from the 70’s onwards; or The “Carnforth Community Choir”  meeting weekly at Crag Bank Community Centre who urge you to join them in “singing your heart out while improving your emotional, mental and physical health”; or if you are over 60 you can join the “Seagull Cafe” at More Music in Morecambe every Tuesday afternoon and enjoy afternoon tea as well as a sing-a-long. 

Some choirs benefit people with specific health conditions such as the “Breath of Fresh Air Choir” that meet every Monday afternoon at the Gregson Centre in Lancaster, led by a trained respiratory singing professional, this group (and a similar group that meet at Stanleys Community Centre in Morecambe) is great for people that could use singing to help with their breathing and respiratory problems.  

Other singing for health groups include: The Stroke Association Singing Group, Singing with Sustenance at Trinity Reform Church (a group for people with memory problems and their carers) and Dignity in Dementia Singing groups in Silverdale.  

For young adults, Colette Webb – Singing for Health & Wellbeing offers a place to come together and lessen anxieties and do something different.  

At the end of 2024, Barton Road Community Choir were also celebrating as they were crowned the Lancashire People’s Choice Champion Choir of the Year at the Lancashire Choir of the Year finals.  

According to their Facebook page “Barton Road Choir is a choir that learns one song every two years, their tea breaks often last longer than their rehearsals and their song arrangements are made up in our choir leaders head while she’s out walking the dog!”  

Our Community Health Officer, Jenny is keen to help these groups thrive:  

“It’s been an absolute privilege getting to know the Male Voice Choir this year, what a fantastic, friendly and talented bunch of men they are. The statistics surrounding men’s mental health are stark (3 times more men are likely to die by suicide in England than females. – Samaritans (2023) so groups like the Male Voice Choir are vital in helping men to improve their mental health, make new friends and feel less isolated. 

Watching them perform in the Ashton Hall at their 125th Concert in October was incredibly special. If the Male Voice Choir are to play their 150th concert in 2049 they will need new members. Let’s see if we can spread the word and help others reap the benefits of singing and being part of something bigger than yourself.” 

So next time you find yourself singing along to the radio or in the shower, ask yourself “Is there a choir or a singing group out there for me?” 

Search in the Lancaster District Digital Directory for your nearest group, just type “Singing” into the key word search and raise your voice to the sky!  

Watch our latest vlog here…

If you’d like more information on how to include your organisation on the directory, or any general queries or feedback, we’d love to hear from you.  Please contact [email protected]