It’s December, and we all know that this means… Christmas! That’s right; it’s time to set up the tree, decorate it, watch Christmas movies with a hot chocolate and start shopping for presents. But, there is another excellent way that you can inspire Christmas joy this year, too.

Have you ever considered joining a choir? We too plan our rehearsals around Christmas with some Shakin’ Stevens and Mariah Carey. Being in a choir can bring festive joy to the forefront, especially for those who struggle with this time of the year due to SAD or simply feeling lonely. It gives them an opportunity to socialise, as well as have some great fun. 

To find out more on why joining a choir can inspire Christmas Joy for you this year, continue reading this blog post.

Practise for Christmas Carolling

Even though it is mostly seen in films, Christmas carolling is a common pastime for many people, and by being in a choir, you will be able to practise for it. Christmas carolling can be quite daunting; having to knock on strangers’ doors to perform a song for them, but with the help of a choir, you can gain confidence beforehand.

Singing in a choir will also allow you to get used to singing in a group, as well as performing in front of other people at performances (which are very common at Christmas time). From this, you will be confident enough to sing in front of others, and you may even find you’re good at it! 

Practise for Family Gatherings

A choir gives you a great place to practice your singing for family gatherings. If your family, like a lot of families, like to have a sing-song or karaoke session during the festivities, you will be able to show all of them how it is really done by singing your heart out to the Christmas classics! 

Again, with the confidence side of things, even though they may be your family, singing in front of anyone can be nerve-racking. When joining a choir, you will learn to forget about those nerves and move past them. We say this because when you’re singing in a choir, you will enjoy yourself and everybody is in the same boat as you while singing, so it won’t be scary or out of the ordinary – it’ll just flow. 

Feeling Festive

Of course, you will feel festive! You will be rocking out to some of the greatest Christmas songs to have ever been made while wearing Christmas hats (this is optional). Does it get much more festive? On a serious note, if you find it hard to look forward to Christmas, we recommend singing about it. You may be tired of hearing the same Christmas songs, but when you sing them, yours and the group’s harmony put its own touch onto the music; a touch that will bring you warmth and excitement.

Boost Your Mood

This is an important point to make – SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is at it’s prime during this time of year. When suffering from SAD, the last thing you want to be doing is getting festive because a prominent symptom of having it is depression. However, as your doctor will probably advise you to, finding ways of cheering yourself up and boosting your mood can be highly effective.

As humans, it is so easy to feed our emotions; when we’re sad, we listen to sad music, avoid people and sit in our little bubble, when what we really should be doing is counteracting this feeling by doing things that we enjoy. 

By joining a choir, you won’t be forced to sing songs, but instead, you’ll want to get involved. The atmosphere of  our choirs are always positive. People aren’t there to judge; instead, they are there to have fun and enjoy each other’s company. If you suffer from seasonal depression, even if a choir doesn’t cure it, it’ll most certainly take your mind off of it. Being surrounded by people is sometimes the best treatment, and although this may seem like your worst nightmare before attending, a choir can give you that place of escape. 

Has this blog post convinced you to join a choir this Christmas? Here at Cheshire Pop Choirs, we are one massive family who has fun, sings what we want and escapes from the stresses of our day-to-day lives. If this sounds like something you’d want to get involved with but are too nervous to commit to, why not attend a taster session? They are only £5, and there is no obligation to return if it isn’t for you!

It’s time that you found your Christmas joy by joining a choir in Cheshire. We’re always happy to welcome new members and there are no scary auditions – everyone is welcome! Christmas is a time that we should be experiencing positively, and sometimes, to do this, we need to make a change. This change may be scary, but you’ll probably never look at Christmas the same way.