High Notes in 'Your Times'

February 2011

Birds definitely do it, bees sort of do it, wolves do it; and some scholars maintain that Neanderthals did it without words. Singing that is. It's an age old form of expression and here in the Highlands singing is Big Time.  Jennie Fea takes a look at what makes us sing.

Anyone who has ever sung in the shower knows that singing makes you feel good. Singing with others makes you feel even better - it produces the exhilarating sense of shared emotion, cooperation, truly belonging to a close-knit group and developing a meaningful collective purpose.

'Singing is the most wonderful thing you can do and singing with someone else is sublime,' says Kerith Fowles, Director of Serendipity Choir at Bundanoon.

Probably we developed singing early in our evolution because good team work helped survival. Singing together may silence the selfish gene, and let the altruistic one be heard.

In which case, Highland folk must be happy, unselfish folk because we have 14 singing groups of various kinds, not counting school and church choirs and other more informal songsters.

They range in character from large choirs such as Sing Australia in Bowral, smaller choirs like the Highland Singers, village based ensembles (in Canyonleigh, Exeter and Robertson), consorts, harmony quartets (male and female) and trios (the Daberfores). Some perform acapella (like ShACapella). The St Jude's choir occasionally performs major choral and orchestral works. The music is as varied as the groups.

The voices are as varied as the members. ' Some people have a Stradivarius and some a chipboard [instrument] but you can still make music on it,' Kerith Fowles points out. Stradivarius owners can try for a group that auditions like the Berrima Singers. Within a group, cheery chipboard owners may improve, more than they expect.

'Often people learn to adjust their pitch after they've been with us for a while,' encourages sing Australia conductor Rhonda Langford. Her choir is part of a national-wide network of choirs that sing from the same song books. When thousands of singers from all over Australia get together once a year it is a big sound.

Whatever the quality, our first voice is never our last voice. Most choirs have a mix of ages, but some are more age-specific. Voices in Harmony was formed through the Southern Highlands University of the Third Age whose members must be over 55. The St Jude's Youth Choir takes 9 to 16 year olds - no mean feat given the instability of voices in this age range. The Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council's SOUND auditions for a wide range depending on the performance piece.

The Highlands has groups for perfectionists, groups for practical purposes and groups for pure pleasure. Rhonda Langford says it is not so much about achieving perfection, but enjoyment and friendship.

As well as practising for the inward pleasures of achievement and improvement, most groups regularly perform for the community; in concerts or for special events such as Christmas Carols, in nursing homes and in shopping areas - even hospitals.

It's not necessary to understand the underlying biochemistry of endorphin and oxytocin release to get and give pleasure from singing. But singing about health and medical matters, in their own original words, is the express purpose of the WENCH's (Women Embracing New Challenges in Health). An often amusing approach to serious subjects like menopause, and heart attacks 'makes people feel comfortable about themselves. We have had very positive feedback from audiences and health professionals,' says Robyn Smith, who writes most of the lyrics.

All the groups stress not only the importance of giving to the community through their singing but also the importance of being part of an harmonious group. 'Singing in the Highlandaires Men's Quartet is a very important hobby that keeps us happy, healthy and interested,' says Brendan Akhurst. 'It adds a huge extra dimension to our lives.'

Perhaps the next time you feel the need to belong you could release your inner wolf and try singing with a group. There's plenty of choice in the Highlands.

A list of contact details for choirs and singing groups in the Southern Highlands is available from the council and on the website: http://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au. Enter choirs and singing groups in the search bar on the left.