Italy is on lockdown in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. But people are still singing.
Twitter user @valemercurii posted a video that shows people belting out a classic Italian song together through their windows, echoing off the empty streets. Though she told Insider she was not the one who took the video, her post has already been viewed nearly 2 million times.
The song is called "Canto della Verbena," known in English as "And While Siena Sleeps." It's a song of national pride, the lyrics declaring "long live our Siena." Even the dogs can be heard howling and barking along to the tune.
—valemercurii (@valemercurii) March 12, 2020
A similar video from Wuhan, China, posted to Reddit in February showed people yelling "Wuhan come on!" from their windows to lift each other's spirits.
Wuhan People shouting "武汉加油" (Wuhan come on!) out of their windows to give each other strength. from r/Wuhan
There are proven benefits to singing in a group setting. A 2005 study published by the Society for Education, Music, and Psychological Research found that choir participation comes with "considerable emotional, social and cognitive benefits." Several subsequent studies have also found that group singing reduces stress and anxiety and improves one's overall mental health.
In a time of global uncertainty and social distancing, it seems that even a video of people singing or chanting together despite their mandated isolation makes the rest of the world want to join in, too.
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