Singing, wellbeing and gender: Choristers in Australia, England and Germany

Abstract

From 2000 onwards, an increasing body of research has examined the potential value of choral singing for wellbeing and health. This chapter critically reviews research on this issue and considers its contributions and shortcomings. A particular bias highlighted is the greater numbers of women than men in samples investigated together with the lack of explicit attention to the role that gender may play in choristers’ experience of singing and the contribution it makes to subjective wellbeing and health. This issue is addressed drawing on data gathered in a large-scale survey of singers in choirs in Australia, England and Germany. The structure of women’s and men’s perceptions of the wellbeing effects of singing are shown to be identical within and across each national sample, but women consistently express stronger wellbeing experiences associated with singing. Possible interpretations of this finding are explored and recommendations made for further research.