What is it about children singing that makes me a weeping wreck?

[GettingSoftinOldAge]

DDs' school have a new music teacher and this woman honestly has a gift from god. I've never heard children singing like it.

I was standing in reception to fill in a form and O Holy Night reduced me to a blubbering wreck

Because they are very very good...?

Silent night always gets me. Many years ago I was at a very fancy Christmas City lunch in a huge trade hall. At one point the whole room went black then a spotlight hit a disco ball on the ceiling, and there were stars dancing everywhere - awwwwww. Then a solo opera singer started singing silent night from a minstrels balcony, and you could have heard a pin drop.

I was blubbing into my napkin but when the lights came back on there were quite a few wee red eyes in that room of high falutin’ city gents.

Lol, I’m exactly the opposite! I don’t like to hear children singing.

I’ve had to sit through many singing recitals and music nights. I also went through childbirth with no painkillers.

Me too. I am a mess at the leavers assemblies particularly, let alone the nativity play. I have no idea why. It's very

O Holy Night is tear-inducing at the best of times - there's a Welsh male choir version that gets me going every time - but yes, kids. Is it the pitch? I don't remember feeling it before I had children. And yet, even after having spent most of the children's advent service cringing at the solos, duets and poncy dancing with ribbons, when all the children sing together at the end it has me in floods. It has to be >20 children though, and nothing modern

Oh God. DD's nursery have them practising their Nativity songs every day and I have to try not to blub at pick up time.

Even kids singing on TV gets me sniffling though. Dunno what it is!

Oh Lord I'm the same. I don't even have to know any of the children but I'm blubbering and snivelling. When my own children are involved in the singing I'm a wreck. My heart melts at the children who aren't particularly talented but are thoroughly enjoying it and giving it their all. Actually I prefer that to the predictable serene angelic child who performs a solo every year.

There's just something so innocent and uniting about it. I've no idea how the teachers manage it. I forget all my worries and woes while I'm watching and come out with a renewed sense of "everything's gonna be alright".

DS’s choir teacher got them doing a version of Away In A Manger that brought the house down on the first note.

I wish I knew! I cry at every children’s singing / acting / dancing thing.

You’re not alone, OP. Children’s choirs, and particularly trained boy trebles, have the same effect on me. This one makes me weep every year: m.youtube.com/watch?v=vpwoGC3GFwY

And this one: m.youtube.com/watch?v=HeRrAzapOQ0And this one:

It's children, adults don't have the same effect on me!

Away in a Manger is the worst, especially 'the dear children who live with thee there'

I think I have a reflex to cry at children singing. Pretty awkward really as I’m a teacher and sit through singing assemblies most weeks. I’m stone hearted in all other areas too. Weird!

I went to deliver a pair if wellies to my daughter one day, and as I passed the school hall, I could hear the lower school practise singing Mhairi's wedding for the school concert. It echoed round the big old fashioned corridor and I was in floods! Felt really stupid handing the wellies over to reception with tears streaming down my cheeks

Gets me every time. I get the chills then the tears. Away in a manger in particular. It’s almost worse because I know I’m going to cry and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think it’s also because I reflect on other stuff when I’m in nativity play/ assembly or church.

Don't come to our school's SEND unit's Christmas carol concert then as you'll be crying your eyes out. Last year a little boy who had been mute for a long time finally started to speak. Omg when he came on to sing his line, even hard nosed dh was reaching for the tissues.

I’ve had to sit through many singing recitals and music nights. I also went through childbirth with no painkillers