Claire Weston, a 91-year-old woman, is holding a small chihuahua while singing and dancing to “When You’re Smiling” by Michael Bublé. When the song ends, the accompanist calls out a page number and all the members frantically flip through the binder and wait for the musician to start playing the piano. One member, who until then had kept to himself in his seat, suddenly stands up to the front of the choir and sings loudly for everyone to hear. Proudly, he smiles and faces the audience who smile right back at him.
The Brookline Senior Center Choir meets every Friday at 10:30 a.m. Depending on the week, a group of around 15 to 20 senior citizens share laughter and joy through music. Their repertoire includes over 300 songs from Broadway musicals to Frank Sinatra. The choir welcomes anyone over 60 to join them each week, hoping to build a space for those who love music.
Choir accompanist and director Joseph Reid has worked with the choir for over 20 years. He said that he has noticed how much joy the choir brings to the seniors. According to him, the meetings are low pressure; the seniors are given a book of around 150 pages and throughout the session jump from song to song.
“It’s been very friendly and enjoyable, the quality of the music is not too high. It’s just singing songs. I don’t care if somebody’s out of tune. People tell stories, it’s very interactive,” Reid said.
Louise Snydea, a 95-year-old choir member, was married to a professional singer for 59 years. “He used to sing all over. Outdoors, inside, clubs, everywhere,” Snydea said.
Syndea used to sing with her brothers to an older woman who lived next to her. After hearing about the choir, Snydea joined and has been in it for over three years.
“I love to sing, and everyone else does too, in that choir. I hope everybody else is happy when I sing. That’s why I come every Friday, because I have some bad days, you know,” Snydea said. “But I just love this. It just gets me in the mood. It’s good for feeling good.”
Choir member Jane Hovey has been a part of the choir for over four years. She said she sings often around the house, and singing with the choir brings her comfort.
“My son died 11 years ago of cancer and died young. A neighbor of mine said to me, ‘You never smile anymore. I’m going to take you someplace to make you smile.’ She dropped me into the chorus,” Hovey said. “It made me smile again.”
Reid said the mission of the choir is to have a place for seniors to go to build community.
“We’ve had people from all over the world. One year we did something in 10 different languages. Everybody brought a song from their country of origin,” Reid said. “Anybody can come. It’s a lot of fun. People are very friendly.”
Weston joined the choir in 2016, making her the current oldest member of the choir. When performing at the senior center craft fair, she started to dance with another choir member. The two smiled at each other while the rest of the choir sang Broadway songs. Weston said she has met many friends in her time singing at the center.
“The best part? It keeps you alive. It makes you smile. You meet people, you’re releasing your vocal cords and you’re making everybody happy,” Weston said.
Reid said that many people have found bliss when singing with the choir. He said that he often hears members recollecting memories with their loved ones.
“Sometimes people are very emotional. People say, ‘That was my husband’s favorite song’ and they’re crying a little bit,” Reid said. “It’s a beautiful thing to get 15 people singing. And [for] people who are living alone, having that experience is amazing.”
