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I want to say something specific to choir singers, because this comes up so often in our consultations. Don’t stop singing! Hearing loss shouldn’t stop you doing the things you love.

The problem I hear most often is this: people are taking their hearing aids out during rehearsals. When everyone around them starts singing, the volume overwhelms their devices and causes distortion. It is deeply frustrating. And then when the conductor stops to give notes, the moment when you most need to hear, but the aids are out and you miss it entirely. Some people end up not going at all. That makes me sad, because choir is genuinely one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Why this happens — and why it doesn’t have to

Cheaper or older hearing aids simply cannot handle sound levels above around 100 decibels. Think of it like this: the acoustic energy coming into the microphone is like electricity coming into a circuit. If too much energy arrives at once, the circuit is overwhelmed and what comes out is distorted noise rather than clear sound. A full choir in full voice generates exactly that kind of energy.

The hearing aids we fit at Meadows & Wood are engineered for exactly this kind of environment. They process high-energy sound cleanly, so you can stand in the middle of a choir, hear every voice around you and every word from the conductor, and your aids stay exactly where they belong in your ears, doing their job.

Get back out there

Getting back to choir, back to concerts, back to evenings that leave you feeling properly alive, that is what good hearing care is really about for me. It is not just about being able to hear. It is about being fully present in the things that matter to you. Music, community, connection. The kind of joy that is genuinely good for your health, from the inside out.

Local choirs worth exploring

If you’ve been thinking about giving choir a go, or getting back to one you’ve been missing, here are some brilliant local groups to check out. All of them welcome new members warmly and most need no experience whatsoever.

Worle Community Choir – Mixed voices, four-part harmony, every Thursday evening at St Marks Church, Worle. No auditions, no experience needed.  https://worlecommunitychoir.co.uk/

Rock Choir Weston-super-Mare – Pop and rock hits in brilliant harmony, all ages welcome, led by Mike Aris. Free taster session available.  https://www.rockchoir.com/uk-singing-group/Weston-Super-Mare-Late

Weston Choral Society – A four-part choral society with an ambitious repertoire, based in Weston-super-Mare.  https://www.westonchoralsociety.org.uk/

North Somerset Good Afternoon Choir – Every Wednesday afternoon at Nailsea Methodist Church. Welcoming, fun and open to everyone.  https://www.goodafternoonchoir.org/north-somerset-gac.html

South Somerset Good Afternoon Choir – Meets on Monday afternoons in Wincanton. Part of the wonderful Good Afternoon Choirs network.  https://www.goodafternoonchoir.org/

OTM Bristol Community Choir – Tuesday evenings at Alma Church, Clifton. Eclectic repertoire, no auditions, one of Bristol’s most active community choirs.  https://www.outtheremusicbristol.co.uk/community-choirs/

These groups, and many others like them, do something genuinely important. Singing together is good for your mental health, your physical health, your social life and your overall wellbeing. The research on this has been strong for years.

If any of this resonates, please do come and have a chat with us. There is no pressure and no obligation, just a conversation about your hearing and your life, with someone who genuinely cares about both. Our clinics are in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Shirehampton.

To book a consultation at any of our five clinics in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon or Shirehampton, call 01934 248426. This spring’s concerts are waiting for you. This season’s concerts and choir rehearsals are waiting for you.

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Toby Meadows, founder of Meadows & Wood Hearing Care, on modern hearing aids, local choirs and getting the most from live music this spring.

Spring is one of my favourite times of year, and live music is a big part of why. Bristol Beacon has a wonderful season planning including the London Symphony Orchestra performing Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and other fabulous musical events, it will be a really special season! Across Somerset, our theatres and concert halls come alive. But I often hear from people for whom hearing loss has quietly taken some of that pleasure away. Concerts feel effortful. You miss the detail. You come home deflated. If that sounds familiar, I want you to know it doesn’t have to be that way.

“It’s not a hearing aid as much as a clearing aid.” Alice Cooper, Starkey hearing aid wearer

One of the brands we stock is Starkey, a firm favourite with clients who love music. Rock legend Alice Cooper has worn Starkey hearing aids for years and describes them perfectly, that moment when music sounds like music again is exactly what we see with our own clients.

This matters especially for choir singers, and we have some brilliant ones nearby. I hear it regularly: people removing their hearing aids mid-rehearsal because the volume of those around them causes older devices to distort. Then when the conductor stops to give notes, the aids are out and they cannot hear a word. Frustrating, and more than a little embarrassing. The hearing aids we recommend are built to handle exactly that environment, so you can stand in a full choir, hear everything naturally, and leave your aids exactly where they belong.

As an independent practice, we are not tied to any single manufacturer. We take the time to find the right hearing aid for your life, and if live music or singing is part of that life, I genuinely enjoy that conversation. Come and see us.

To book a consultation at any of our five clinics in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon or Shirehampton, call 01934 248426. This spring’s concerts are waiting for you. Pop in or give us a call on 01934 248426.

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