Choral singing and the acquisition of educational values

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to observe the extent to which the practice of collective singing in children’s and youth choirs offers a way of teaching values. The main working tool used was a questionnaire that was completed by the choir conductors and singers of the different choirs surveyed. The purpose of the questionnaire was to assess if choral singing can be a space for working on and developing values, and if these values lead to improvements in the overall education of the person. On the one hand, choir conductors considered respect to be the most important value for a choral group and friendship the most valuable aspect for singers. This view was not shared by the singers, who considered friendship to be less important. On the other hand, they agreed on the influence of respect and communication and that spontaneity is undervalued.