Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing with Others

Why do we sing? For Stacy Horn, singing in a community choir--the Choral Society of Grace Church in New York--is the one thing in her life that never fails to take her to a transcendent place and remind her that everything good is possible. She's not particularly religious and (she'll be the first to point out) her voice isn't exactly the stuff of legend, but like thousands of other amateur chorus members throughout this country and the world, singing with other people makes her happy.

As Horn relates her funny and profound experiences as a choir member, she treats us to an eclectic history of group singing and the music that moves us, whether we're hearing it for the first time or the hundredth; the dramatic stories of conductors and composers; and discoveries from the new science of singing, including the remarkable physical benefits of song.

Life can be hard, battles continue to rage all around us, and by midlife most of us have had our share of disappointments. Here is the unexpected story of one woman who nevertheless has found joy and strength in the weekly ritual of singing some of the greatest music humanity has ever produced.