As the Island settles into its quiet winter rhythm, voices are rising together in harmony in a time that can otherwise be isolating. Community singing has a long Island history, with several opportunities not just to listen to music, but to join in and create it together.
Community singing advocate Roberta Kirn leads Islanders of all ages in community singing events that emphasize connection and well-being. Kirn is currently working to become a certified community health musician through Berklee College of Music’s Music and Health Institute, where she studies the psychological and physical effects of singing in groups. “You get in sync, your hearts beat at the same rate, endorphins are released, and cortisol is lowered,” said Kirn.
Inspired by her teacher, Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell Kirn has spent years traveling and learning how music functions in daily life across cultures. “In other spaces it’s just part of the culture that people sing together, whereas here in the West, it’s kind of divided into people who perform and people who listen,” said Kirn. “I’m trying to sort of break down those barriers.”
Her goal, she added, “is to get people singing, not so much as performers, but as a community of people singing together.” For more than two decades, she’s invited Islanders to come together at the Charter School and sing at weekly rehearsals that culminate in the annual Winter Community Sing concert, an event supported by the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council.
Now in its 24th year, the Winter Concert features songs gathered from Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and more that Kirn has selected because they are joyful, empowering, hopeful, and peaceful. “The point is not so much the performance, but more about the process of people having the opportunity to sing together, and kind of learn how to harmonize,” said Kirn.
Kirn isn’t worried about perfection either. “Often people will say, ‘Oh, I can’t sing. You don’t want me to sing,’ but that doesn’t happen in other parts of the world, because everybody just sings, and they’re not so worried about it being perfect,” said Kirn. “They’re not perfect, but that’s not the point. The point is for people to come together in a joyous way and just be humans together.”
“I’m feeling we need to sing songs of empowerment,” said Kirn. “There’s a lot happening in our world that is discouraging and worrisome, and we need to come together as a community and support our neighbors and our friends, and access hope and love and community.”
Aside from the concert, Kirn hosts singing events across the Island, and visits schools and hospices to remind people that everyone can sing. “It’s a really nourishing thing to do,” she said. “There have been all kinds of studies that show that when people sing together, they feel better. It’s as simple as that.”
Kirn believes this collective act helps combat what she calls “the epidemic of loneliness.” “When everyone’s in a room together and singing, it brings people together across other barriers that might typically separate,” she said. “This act has been used before — it’s an ancient practice.”
She hopes to reintroduce that sense of shared song to daily life on the Island. “In other parts of the world, people sing all the time, and it’s not decoration, it’s essential,” she said. “It’s a functional part of daily life that helps people to feel strong and engaged and together.”
Another opportunity to come together and sing on the Island is through the Island Community Chorus, led by Director Bill Peek. The chorus’ mission is to encourage the enjoyment of choral music through public concerts. Peek, now in his fourth year as director, leads rehearsals, selects programming, and fosters camaraderie among singers.
“The chorus was founded by Peter Boak back in the 1990s,” said Peek. “It’s been an important Martha’s Vineyard institution for the past over 25 years.” He added, “We want our singers to enjoy making music and singing together, and our goal is to present concerts and to share great choral music with the community here.”
“It’s an activity that’s, you know, a lot of fun,” said Peek. “They enjoy making music and the camaraderie of the chorus. I also think that they enjoy working on great choral literature.”
Peek, familiar with Kirn’s work, notes that while his approach is more performance-oriented, they share a similar spirit; both approaches have similar goals of providing affirmation and joy through singing.
“It’s a wonderful, affirming thing, just for people to get together and sing,” said Peek. “I think we’re, in many ways, doing exactly the same thing.” After the winter concert, the chorus begins rehearsals once again for its spring concert, which often features a larger choral work with instrumental accompaniment, and takes place in early May.
The chorus is open to anyone interested in singing, and holds welcome sessions at the beginning of each season. While there are no auditions, the chorus does require singers to be comfortable with the rigors of performing somewhat ambitious music.
As the Island slips deeper into the winter, both Kirn and Peek are keeping the community connected through song. Whether it’s the free-flowing joy of a community sing or the practiced harmony of a chorus, each gathering shares the same message — music has the power to combat isolation and create belonging in a season known for its silence.
The Community Sing Winter Concert will be on Dec. 18. The rehearsals are on Tuesdays at the Charter School from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. Contact roberta@bewellsing.com for more information about either the WInter Concert or the Community Sings, or check out bewellsing.com. The Island Community Chorus Winter Concert will be on Dec. 6 and 7 at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown. For more information, visit islandcommunitychorus.com.
