Are choirs social singing a good place to make friends or find a romantic date?

[rogloc]

A single male friend likes singing and I suggested he make friends and possible romantic dates at a choir too. My thinking is because there seems a lot more women at the one I used to go to. Your thoughts?

Depends on the choir I guess. Same goes for AmDram groups, some are quite cliquey and it's hard to make friends at all, others more open. And some are just really naff!

Always worth a try - in my experience many adults find it quite hard to make new friends, life gets in the way, and a lot of people would like to have more of a tribe!

Definitely worth while joining if he actually enjoys that kind of thing. But I wouldn't recommend it if his only only aim is watch all the single women and have a go at catching one of them.

They deserve to be able to go and enjoy their hobby in peace.

I agree with this.
If he enjoys singing and wants to make friends, great.

If he wants to enter, what sounds like, a predominantly female space and hit on all the women then that's pretty grim

I’m glad it’s not just me who was thinking that.

I met my bestest friend through Musical Theatre. I'm happily married and we have no spark at all but he's like a long-lost brother. We do get raised eyebrows but we know there's nothing romantic about our deep love and friendship. You can definitely meet people and I've seen people meet people and marry...

I've sung in several community choirs and agree with @WaryHiker too.
Any sense that a new male member was there to find a date would have him sidelined, which would also nix his chances of just making friends.

I have a lot of experience - 30 years of many different ensembles, choirs and orchestras. I have never been aware of any group being a pick up joint. I wonder if that is because these groups operate in a totally gender neutral way. It is more where you'd develop a slow burn relationship. It isn't like men landing hopefully in book clubs that are 99% female. If anything, I'd say there biggest problem with this plot is that most people I know are in very long-term relationships and aren't on the lookout on the breaks for anything other than a cup of tea and a biscuit...

I was in a choir for many years and also did swing dancing.

Of course, relationships happened in each but there was a bit of an unwritten code of conduct and people (men and women) took a very dim view of men who joined just to meet women.

They were very obvious and were discreetly moved on.

So, yes, he should join one if he's interested in that sort of thing to widen his social circle but just to meet women? No. They are not places where lonely, single women are sitting on shelves waiting for men to join and pick them.

Well. My 3 children indirectly owe their existence to my having joined a choral society in 2001 and having met someone there. We've been married 22 years this year. So it can happen.

100% this. I’m in a community choir and we’re very social. Unauditioned choirs like ours are very female-heavy, any sign that someone was there just to shag his way through the Sops would be, let’s just say, strongly discouraged. Women do talk.

Arf at ‘shag his way through the sops’

Can't comment on choirs (I couldn't hold a tune in a bucket) but I'd suggest bell ringing if he's a sociable bloke.

My sister met her second husband doing this and as far as I can tell, bellringers are FANTASTICALLY sociable. Anwhere you go in the UK, bellringers are delighted to meet you and invite you to ring in their tower. Then drink afterwards.

Obvs if he tries whatever the change-ringing equivalent of ‘shag his way through the sops’ is, that's not cool.