As readers of the blog know my running days are over. Mostly I’m okay with that but not at stressful times like this election season. Today’s the big vote here in Canada. Yesterday, I was super stressed. Anxious, grumpy, and a bit panicky.
I read Cate’s post about running and election anxiety and felt jealous, adding that to my range of unpleasant emotions. I’ve written before about comfort eating and the US election in defense of food that makes us feel good but I was away from my kitchen and it’s home cooked food that makes me feel better usually.
Instead, I did something new. I sang. Sarah and I went to the Big Sing with my daughter Mallory who is a singing regular. She’s a member of the Karen Schuessler Singers and conducts a children’s choir as well.
What’s a Big Sing?
“Big Sing London! is an event where a couple hundred people get together to just sing. It’s not a concert—we do all the singing ourselves! With our need to come together and engage in community, what better activity could there be to do that than singing?” says KSS Artistic Director and Conductor Karen Schuessler.
The songs we’ll sing will be all kinds—traditional songs. Songs that unite us. Fun songs. Inspiring songs. Simple songs. Songs we can just sing out and not worry if we’re singing too loud—because we’ll all be singing loud! We’ll use word sheets so everyone can join in.
Bernie Gilmore is a well-known folksinger, singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player right here in London. Bernie is passionate about the power of community singing and the right of every person to be able to sing. He loves leading Community Sings! You can be sure he’ll get the whole room rocking!
As he says, “Get the heck off your favourite chair at home and out from in front of the big screen. If you love to sing great songs come on out to Big Sing London! for an afternoon you will thoroughly enjoy—and get ready to sing your socks off!”
I’ve written before about the fitness benefits of singing. I can’t actually hold a tune so it’s not something I usually do. But yesterday I sang, Canadian folk songs mostly, and I felt just a little bit more relaxed. I think it’s the breathing. Thanks Mallory for having us along!
That sounds so great and cathartic! I wish we had something like that around here.
What a great thing to do! Like Bettina, I wish we had that here. There are some seaosnal sing-alongs, but just getting together in a community to sing– what fun.
We have them in pubs but I like the non-bar version best!