By Judy Goddess

An article in the Richmond Review mentioning a study investigating the health benefits for seniors of singing in a choir convinced Mary Polo to check out the Richmond Senior Choir.

“It was a study by UCSF, and my husband had just been diagnosed with dementia so I thought it would be good for us,” she said.

Polo and her husband were among the first to join the choir where she remains an active member. 

“This choir has been perfect for me,” Polo said. “It’s such a treat. I love Beth (Wilmurt, the director of the Richmond Senior Choir).”

When Polo’s husband died two years ago, she asked Wilmurt and two members of the choir, Deb Lesch and Liz Chong, to sing at his memorial.

“Hearing ‘Give Me Wings in the Morning So I Can Fly,’ still brings tears to my eyes,” she said. 

The Richmond Choir was one of 12 senior choirs involved in the Community of Voices study researching whether singing in a choir could be a cost-effective way to promote health and well-being among culturally diverse seniors. The study itself was a collaboration between UCSF, the SF Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) and the Community Music Center (CMC) which was responsible for hiring, training and supervising the choir directors and accompanists. 

The main finding of the study was that participation for as few as six months (the length of the study) in a choir decreases loneliness, creates a sense of well-being and increases an interest in life. Although the health results were disappointingly less obvious, some participants spoke about “increased lung capacity,” “better balance” and “a feeling of general well-being.”  

When the COV study ended, CMC folded the Richmond Choir along with the other choirs in the study into their ongoing Older Adult Choir program. Three new choirs have been added bringing the total number of CMCs older adult choirs to 15. The choirs, in partnership with San Francisco neighborhood senior centers, remain tuition free, and open to people 55 and older with a range of singing ability and experience, including beginners. Each choir is led by a professional choir director who chooses songs that reflect the neighborhood’s language and culture.  

In addition to her professionalism, Wilmurt brings high energy and a great heart to the job, along with her lifelong immersion in American folk and popular music. Those who have been in her choirs or watched her conduct, describe her as “magical.” 

Wilmurt looks for songs that are appropriate for adults with various singing abilities.

“I look for short songs that can be layered with harmonies and are easy to memorize so everyone can get off the page. Some songs are well-known, but I’m not afraid to bring in songs that people don’t know. I get inspired by who is in the class.” 

When jazz pianist Richard Daquioag, the original accompanist for the Richmond Choir, died, Wilmurt recruited classical guitarist Sharon Wayne, a parent of a student in the CMC Children’s Chorus, which she also directs. The two have become friends and work well together.

“They don’t stomp on you. Both Beth and Sharon are so nonjudgmental. They’re super welcoming,” said Karen Goodkin, an experienced singer who bikes over from the Sunset District to sing with the choir.

Performance is a core component of the program. Performing for neighborhood, and even city events, allows the singers to demonstrate their skills and provides inspiration by modeling healthy aging. 

This summer, the Richmond Choir, and members of Wilmurt’s other choirs performed a tribute to Malvina Reynolds at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. Deb Lepsch, a soloist in that performance and a longtime singer, is a member of all four of Wilmurt’s choirs.

“I love singing. I’ve always loved singing. As a child, my friends and I used to go around singing,” she said. She also loves performing. “It makes me happy to sing for others and to see them become happy hearing us sing,” she said. 

But it’s not just the singing that draws members to the choirs, it’s the community. Lepsch has friends in all four choirs.

“People become friends through singing together,” she said. 

For a newbie senior like 60-year-old Roni Ng, most of whose friends are younger, the friendship aspect was unexpected. Ng, who follows an active exercise and meditation program, was looking for something else when she joined the Richmond choir last year. While singing had never been her “thing,” when she heard that “singing makes you happy,” she thought she’d give the choir a try. “There’s such good energy here,” she said. Now her partner notices her “humming around the house.” And to her delight, she – like others before her – is “beginning to find community with other seniors.”

The Richmond Adult Choir – and all the CMC choirs – are accepting new members. Contact Tim Costigan at the Community Music Center at tcostigan@sfcmc.org for more information or stop by 741 30^th Ave. any Tuesday morning from 10:15 to 11:45 to observe the choir in action. Membership is free, and all singing abilities are welcome.