Why we sing: Music, spirituality and the search for meaning

A two-day conference at the University of Birmingham, “Reasons to Sing: Singing, Spirituality and the Search for Meaning,” examined why singing matters in Christianity beyond what spoken words can do. Organized by University of Birmingham research fellows Dr Katie Bank and Dr Rebekah Wallace, the event brought theologians, musicians and researchers to explore the physical, social and spiritual dimensions of singing. Speakers opened with the 16th-century Catholic composer William Byrd, who argued singing benefits both body and spirit. Jacqueline Leary-Warsaw described singing as “the embodied person made audible,” connecting breath, hearing, language and intention, and proposed a “sacramentality of the voice” as a way sound gives audible form to prayer. Michael Glover said sacred music can lead people into the mystery of salvation.