We hope thoughts and sounds from Saturday night’s concert of music on memorial themes — Arvo Pärt, Thomas Tallis, Dan Locklair, Benjamin Britten, all leading up to the incomparable Mozart Requiem — will be with audience and performers for a good, long while. Thank you for being with us at VMA. Thank you, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, for your remarks on the civic and social value of the arts. And thanks especially to everyone in the house who accepted the invitation to turn their cell phones on — and text $10 to Haiti or Chile for earthquake relief. (* Who is your neighbor? Now you know.)

After nearly two centuries and thousands of performances around the world, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 delivers exactly what this sad, recession-plagued 21st-century world so desperately needs: an unrestrained celebration of the human spirit. The Rhode Island Philharmonic, Providence Singers, and soloists offer two four-movement servings of pure joy — Freude with Götterfunken, the perfect antidote.

Recordings of the Providence Singers

Just Released:
Dominick Argento: Jonah and the Whale
Copies have arrived at the Singers office and will soon find their way into stores and iTunes. Call the Singers office for more information. More ...

Lukas Foss: The Prairie
The Singers’ debut recording has been well received and is still available from vendors or through the Providence Singers. More ...

Lou Harrison: La Koro Sutro
The Singers joined the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and its American gamelan at Mechanics Hall in Worcester to record the entire work. BMOP will pair the Harrison with other modern works in an upcoming CD release.

National study: Choral singing improves communities, schools, lives

Choral singing continues to be the most popular form of participation in the performing arts. More than 42.6 million Americans of all ages sing regularly in one or more of the nation’s 270,000 choral organizations — and the benefits of that experience are far-reaching and profound. According to The Chorus Impact Study, conducted by Chorus America, choral singing correlates strongly with:

• Good citizenship: Chorus members are civic leaders, support the arts, take part in government and political affairs, are well-informed and well-read, and are more likely to volunteer in their communities.
• Success in school: Children who sing get significantly better grades, improve their performance in language and math. Children of parents who sing have good memory skills, more effective homework habits, higher levels of creativity.
• Greater involvement: Children in choruses are more likely to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities.
• Better life skills: Parents report that children with choral experience have more advanced social skills, are better team players, are better able to manage their emotions, and have qualities that support learning and development.

The report also warns that the decline of choral opportunities for children is a key area of concern. More than 25 percent of teachers and 20 percent of parents say there are no choral opportunities available. Many children who stop singing stop because their choral programs have been discontinued.

Executive summary (pdf)  |  Read the full report (pdf)  |  More about Chorus America