Yeah but with shields, sanctuary, and anthem - "burst" is a bit rare and even if there is a burst (lose of one or something that cuts through it), usually it's rare enough that the endless singing will make up for it.

As I said they probably have better directed healing but I still don't think it'd help that much in general - most fights in the places where you need those big groups, the fights are long enough that longevity is usually a lot better. Not to mention that bards can heal mana - get 2 bards and they can heal indefinitely and keep invokers/shifters/etc in the fight. Healers can just keep the tank up in emergencies.

Still wish healers had a way to deal with fear.