Do Sing
Reclaim your voice. Find your singing tribe.
James Sills
'When you sing with two or three other people and you get it right – everything lifts a couple of feet off the ground.' – Graham Nash
Singing is one thing, but singing together is something else. Powerful and uplifting, group singing creates deep human connections and benefits our wellbeing. And it's fun.
Vocal leader James Sills believes that group singing has the power to change lives. It is a joyful expression of our humanity that gives us purpose, encourages us to be fully present, and helps foster social bonds.
In Do Sing, James invites us to reflect on our own singing journey and asks: was there a time when you stopped singing, or were told you couldn't sing? Do certain songs trigger happy memories?
With exercises to help unlock your voice, improve breathing, release tension, and a few simple songs to get you started, Do Sing will help you to overcome (often deep-rooted) inhibitions and reawaken a love of singing.
Do Sing is a welcome remedy to the challenges of modern life – and an invitation to experience the joy of group singing for yourself.
This paperback purchase includes a free ebook download.
Reviews
An open door to the joyous world of singing
Cerys Matthews
For Sills, group singing ticks all the boxes of the NHS's five recommended steps to wellbeing: social connection, being active, learning new skills, giving to others and mindfulness.
Telegraph
The choral leader who knows all about power of raising our voices together.
The Today Show, NBC
Poignant reminder of the holistic benefits of singing in a choir in an age of solitude.
BBC Music Magazine
Sills makes a passionate case for the importance of lifelong singing to improve wellbeing, bring us closer to our local communities and lift us up body and spirit.
Making Music
Audiobook
James’s Do Lecture
In singing, we can find our tribe
James talks about how singing provides an alternative environment to come together and support each other.
About the author
James Sills is a musician and vocal leader with a passion for bringing people together to sing. He is the founder of The Sofa Singers – an online choir set up in response to global self-isolation that brings hundreds of people together from around the world. He runs weekly open-access choirs and delivers singing workshops with an emphasis on fun and inclusivity. Over the last decade he has led thousands of people in song in festivals, workplaces, schools, cathedrals and pubs. In his local town of Wrexham, James runs the One Love Choir – the first homeless choir in Wales that supports those who have experienced homelessness, addiction and mental health issues. He runs the festival choir at The Good Life Experience, and is a member of the all-male a capella troupe The Spooky Men’s Chorale, with whom he has performed at festivals around the world. James is also part of the Rough Island Band, a contemporary folk quartet based in the Isles of Scilly. He lives in the hills of North Wales with his young family and vinyl collection.
Product details
- Pub date: Sept 2019
- Dimensions: 128x170mm
- Extent: 120 pages
- ISBN: 978-1-907974-70-0
- eBook ISBN: 978-1-907974-71-7
Artwork
Original linocut prints by Hannah Cousins and B&W photography
Paper & print details
Paperback editions are printed by OZGraf Print on Munken, an FSC-certified paper