Singing in a choir is safer than shouting in a crowded pub - Yorkshire Post Letters

The ARTICLE Singing ‘as bad a virus threat as coughing’, (The Yorkshire Post, August 1) contains quite a lot of caveats. ‘May’, ‘should be viewed’, ‘more risky’ ‘suggests’, ‘can produce’.

Scientists usually make pronouncements with greater certainty, even when they are wrong.

I suspect the article misconceives both the function of the vocal cords and the difference between airwaves and sound waves. The act of singing causes the vocal cords to tighten so they can vibrate.

Air leaves the vocal cords at a slower speed than that at which it has travelled up the wind pipe.

A whisper doesn’t tighten the vocal cords at all.

Speaking, shouting and coughing cause a much lower tightening of the vocal cords than singing does.

Any aerosols emerging from the mouth do so at a greater velocity when whispering, speaking, shouting or coughing, than they do when singing. Experiments carried out in Munich proved that aerosols from singing do not travel further than 0.5 of a metre from the mouth.

An experiment with a tea light held 12 inches from the mouth showed that singing didn’t extinguish the flame. Coughing did!

There is also the difference between airwaves and sound waves.

Airwaves will carry aerosols, but over short distances. Sound waves carry sounds, including singing, over long distances, including round corners and through walls. Sound waves do not carry aerosols!

I would contend that, with certain constraints in place, choirs could continue to sing together in safety.

Constraints could include temperature checks, social distancing and masks, well-ventilated venues, etc.

This may be impractical, but surely, as sensible people, choristers should have the chance to test if a very rewarding activity can be continued in safety. After all is not singing in a choir much safer than shouting across a crowded pub?

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James Mitchinson

Editor