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In many cultures and times, music has been understood to have a beneficial impact on health ([32] Gouk, 2000; [34] Horden, 2000). Group singing may have particular and specific benefits for health over other forms of music-making and music listening, as it involves using the body to produce sound in a synchronised and coordinated way with other people.
The extent and nature of community singing varies with cultural traditions from country to country. Countries in northern Europe tend to have a strong choral tradition, whereas in some southern European countries, such as Greece, choral singing is uncommon ([30] Durrant and Himonides, 1998). Scandinavian and Baltic states have relatively high-participation rates in choirs, and in Estonia, for instance, community singing represented a substantial factor in the country's struggle for independence from the Soviet Union in the late 1980s (the so-called "Singing Revolution", www.singingrevolution.com/).
In the USA, choral singing is the most common form of active participation in music-making (Chorus America, www.chorusamerica.org/), and community choirs and choral societies are found in most towns and cities across the UK (Making Music, www.makingmusic.org.uk). The UK has seen a recent growth of interest in choral singing, prompted by several television programmes (e.g. Last Choir Standing). The potential community development and public health dimensions of choral singing are especially apparent in Malone's "Unsung Town" project (www.garethmalone.com/programmes/unsung-town). There are also an increasing number of "singing for health" projects in the UK, with a focus on mental health ([22] Clift et al. , 2011), Parkinson's disease ([64] Evans et al. , 2012) and chronic respiratory illness ([40] Lord et al. , 2010).
Theories contributing to the area
Given the early stage of development of research on singing and wellbeing, there is currently no comprehensive model which might explain how singing might lead to benefits for health. However, there are several social and psychological theories which are useful in suggesting potential mechanisms linking singing to possible health benefits.
[1] Antonovsky's (1987) salutogenic sense of coherence (SOC) model argues that individuals can achieve health if they have the necessary resources and strategies to cope with the demands of life. Measures of SOC have shown a reliable relationship with measures of health, particularly mental health ([31] Eriksson and Lindstrom, 2006). It could be argued that choral...