ABERTILLERY ORPHEUS MALE CHOIR - SOCIAL PRESCRIBING

There is a growing evidence base that highlights the health benefits of singing or playing music in a group. These activities can be particularly effective for improving mental health and wellbeing, as well as combatting loneliness and isolation. Singing in particular can support lung health and be used to help the management of symptoms for conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s.

Abertillery Orpheus Male Choir is listed under Dewis Cymru and is a Health and Well-being Wales Partner

Part of the NHS Personalised Care programme, social prescribing is a way for GPs and local agencies to refer people to a link worker, who takes a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing. They then connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Social prescribing aligns with the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Both of which are founded upon models that recognise the impact of social aspects on health and wellbeing.

The benefits of singing have long been documented – we know it feels good to sing, but what actually happens to our bodies when we sing?We set out to discover how and why singing can be so beneficial to our overall health and well-being. We explored the best music to sing along with and how long we need to sing for in order to feel the benefits. Research has shown that singing may actually help us ward off illness – a benefit that is not to be underestimated in this current pandemic situation.In order to understand the therapeutic effect of singing and how our voices can help our overall wellbeing, we explored the scientific mechanisms underlying the relationship between singing and our body chemistry.We discovered that singing alters the hormones and neurotransmitters that boost mood-state and the immune system. We have also found that singing reduce stress, which is linked to so many health conditions.