If you are a music lover and enjoy singing or simply listening to music performances, then ‘Tis the Season for you!  With many Christmas concerts scheduled through the next few weeks you don’t have to look far to find a way to celebrate the holidays musically.

The Master Singers have several Christmas concerts scheduled.  Go to www.themastersingers.net to learn the details about their scheduled concerts December 12, 18, and 19.

For your holiday listening pleasure, Volume One offers a great way to stream “an exclusive collection of holiday favorites produced by a group of X-mas loving local musicians.”

Have you heard of Hometown Caroling?  If you’re interested in getting involved, email cvht@charter.net to find out if there is a caroling group in your community!

While it’s too late for their Christmas concerts, please keep the Eau Claire Male Chorus, the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the UW-Eau Claire Holiday Concert in mind for next year.

There are church choirs galore who probably have Christmas concerts and don’t count out groups such as the Threshold Singers who have chapters in Eau Claire and Menomonie.  They “sing healing and palliative songs for people who are seriously ill, dying, or grieving.” Christmas season can be a difficult time for the ill and grieving; Threshold Singing can be of help.

Let’s not forget the many benefits of singing.  According to this article from the website How Stuff Works, all types of singing have positive psychological effects. The act of singing releases endorphins, the brain’s “feel good” chemicals. Singing in front of a crowd, a la karaoke, naturally builds confidence, which has broad and long-lasting effects on general well-being. But of all types of singing, it’s choral singing that seems to have the most dramatic effects on people’s lives.

There are also some interesting insights from the Heart Research UK website that suggest that “singing has the physical benefits of aerobics because of oxygenation in the blood stream and major muscle groups are engaged while singing, psychological benefits of reducing stress and creating a sense of well-being and a sense of community can be established through the shared endeavor of singing.”

You might also want to check out these items from our library’s catalog:

Singing by Phyllis Fulford and Michael Miller

Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer by Anne Peckham

Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing with Others by Stacy Horn (E-book)

Hope your holidays are filled with joyful music!