As the holiday season creeps closer, themed muzak blasts out of every shop door. Whether this is a welcome tradition for you or an irritant, it is unavoidable at this time of year. Amidst the banal blend of pop hits and traditional carols, there is one gleaming gem: the abundance of choirs. We rarely hear choirs in our daily lives, and I have a very soft spot for them; I’ve been a member of one ensemble or another since I was nine years old. They are the most perfect microcosm of what it means to belong to a community. They can be as hard and as satisfying as playing sports. Above all, they produce works of beauty. When you sing with a ensemble, you get to be inside that magnificence; you get to literally feel the music inside your bones. There really is no other feeling like the shimmering silence that follows the last note of a choral piece. And the best thing is: it’s not about you. You are only one small piece of the musical puzzle. Each voice matters because many voices make a whole, like blades of grass make a lawn.

Looking for a fun way to meet new people who share your interests? Join a choir! Want to impress a date who’s into culture? Attend a choir concert! Want to weep beautiful tears into the pastry you’re whipping up for your office Festive Winter party? Buy a choir recording or crank up that radio! Here are some tips about how to get started:

JOIN A CHOIR! Toronto abounds with songbirds who lift up their voices together. Whether you want to sing Bach or Rock, whether you want to audition or sing over beer, your musical soul mates can be found. Check out the Choirs Ontario directory, or the Canary Pages of the local free music weekly, The Wholenote, to find an ensemble that’s right for you.

GO TO A CHOIR CONCERT! This time of year is awash in choral performances. All kinds of groups are showing off their best pieces, for a variety of price points. Glory in the Sing-Along Messiah with Tafelmusik (book your ticket early, this show sells out every year). Enjoy music from the rich Afrocentric tradition with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. Revel in a polished blend of contemporary and traditional sound from That Choir. Or, explore the options in your neighbourhood. I guarantee there is a choir concert at a community centre, church hall, or street corner within five kilometers of your home in the next six weeks.

BUY A CHOIR ALBUM! A vinyl one. A digital one. A CD (just kidding!) Toronto boasts a plethora of second hand record shops. I’ve had good luck at Amorosa (on St. Patrick at Queen West) which has an excellent selection of classical choices. As for digital, I doubt you need me to tell you that Itunes is an almost limitless pit. Spelunk away! When you buy an album, you can keep those glorious choral sounds for ever and ever, and listen to them over and over, while you cook, travel, and scrub the bathroom. My digital copy of the Westminster Abbey Choir belting out Zadok the Priest at Her Maj’s coronation is one I use to liven up the dull bits of life.

TUNE IN: CHORAL CONCERT, CBC. CBC Radio 2 9 am. If you are up, turn this on. You won’t be sorry. Gentle for the worst of hangovers, and invigorating for the early riser. SPOTIFY. I am late to this party, and wow, is my husband going to be annoyed. I am going to play choral music from morning to night. FOR FREE! I just discovered this.

Still on the fence? I leave you with this lush video of the open, drop-in choir, Choir! Choir! Choir! performing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Now tell me you don’t want to be part of that.