Young @ Heart. Choir Singing, Health and Age

Young @ Heart. Choir Singing and Health
The culture of amateur choral music has a long tradition in most countries of Europe. Choral societies grew up in the middle of the 19th century, and members were young enthusiasts. Following the end of WW II glee clubs seemed to experience its renaissance that lasted until the seventieth. The decline of choir singing began, at least in my country – Luxembourg, about two decades ago, and today choir singing has become a pastime for elder people. In the past, the social aspect of corporate music-making in the area of amateur activities was an important argument of people coming together. Today, the claim for shared cultural activities is replaced by social media and networks, which gain in acceptance already among the older generation. Singing has become a matter of elderly persons. Health issues become more important: Common singing furthers concentration, overcomes isolation, is a continuous support for manifold forms of therapies.
My lecture will give an insight into a leisure activity that combines hard work and musical performance based on decades of experience and will also present a famous example: the “Young@Heart-Chorus”.