In a recent thread on a private listserv with an Orthodox Jewish orientation, I mentioned the Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus (www.thejppc.org) and was questioned about its propriety because of traditional strictures against women singing in the presence of men. In response I mentioned a recent responsum by Rav David Bigman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Maale Gilboa. I am pleased to post the full responsum here, in both the original Hebrew and in the authorized English translation. I welcome discussion via blog comments.
To summarize (from the authorized translation):
There is no prohibition whatsoever of innocent singing; rather, only singing intended for sexual stimulation, or flirtatious singing, is forbidden. Although this distinction is not explicit in the early rabbinic sources, it closely fits the character of the prohibition as described in different contexts in the Talmud and the Rishonim, and it is supported by the language of the Rambam, the Tur, and the Shulchan Arukh.
Click here for the original Hebrew