Bristol 'Sing for Happiness' project seeks participants

Mr Savant said often music can help people going through a hard time can "help them express something that they can't do in words"

A new choir hopes to discover how singing affects our mental health.

Samir Savant, a professional singer and CEO of St George's Bristol wants to make the arts accessible for "everyone".

His latest project is a collaboration with specialist researchers and up to 1,000 singers, to explore the link between singing and our wellbeing.

"Being in a room and sharing something joyful with like-minded people combats loneliness [and] depression," he said.

"We have music around us all the time, even though we don't register it. It's all to create a certain mood," Mr Savant added.

"When we go to big events... we're all expected to sing," he told BBC Radio Bristol, referencing weddings and birthday parties.

The classically-trained singer recently did a TED X Bristol talk about the power of singing, which he said was all about "why singing is so embedded".

Mr Savant has been singing since he was a child and ended up joining an "amazing" choir that took part in international competitions and was featured on TV.

"Whenever you have major events, there's always singing involved," said Samir Savant

He said the feel-good hormone oxytocin is "really strong in your body", for example, when a mother is singing to a baby, or when a person looks at their dog.

"It's the 'I belong, I feel part of this community' feeling," he added.

Mr Savant said dopamine is also "very strong when we sing".

He is hoping for up to 1,000 voices to take part in the project, Sing for Happiness, which will include five in-person rehearsals at St George's, plus several online sessions and then a performance at Bristol Beacon on 22 June.

He said the project has "fantastic" songs that people will know and is open to people of all abilities, even if they have never sung before.

The research project will work with experienced choir leaders from Bristol and specialist researchers from UWE Bristol to uncover more about the link between singing and wellbeing.