Health and Fitness / Singing
Could lunchtime singing boost your wellbeing?
Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, Bristol-based vocal coach Eliza Fyfe shares her experiences of boosting wellbeing through lunchtime singing groups in workplaces throughout the city.
“Most people hold back to begin with,” Eliza explains. “But then their confidence builds. The mood change before and after choir is just astounding.”
Through her Choir Works sessions, from which local organisations such as the NHS and BBC have benefited, Eliza gets even the most awkward or non-musical team members to de-stress.
They start to giggle, relax and sing – in harmony – to classics such as A Little Respect, Rolling In The Deep, Seven Nation Army or even Christmas carols.
Workers return to their desks feeling re-energised and relaxed. “It gives them a real zest for life!” Eliza says.
Not only is it good for an individual’s breathing, posture, muscle tension and cognitive stimulation, growing research evidences group singing as a way to reinforce connection between people.
As employees are encouraged back to the office, Bristol businesses are finding that lunchtime or after-work choir groups are a good way to get people together again.
“People from all ages and different teams who might not know each other come together, and through singing, they bond as a group,” says Eliza, who has hosted people aged from their 20s up to their 70s.
“Singing is a great leveller.”
Eliza, who studied music at Bath University before moving to Bristol, arms herself with only a speaker and some song sheets to set herself up in a suitable space. Her singers don’t require any equipment, have no need for a shower afterwards, and different sized teams of all backgrounds and ages can participate.
Inspired by her infectious energy, groups start with a warm-up session to get the endorphins buzzing, then work together on singing Eliza’s latest arrangements.
A fan of creating her own original mash-ups, Eliza also takes musical requests for celebrating a particular company milestone or special occasion.
While the resulting video or live performance makes a fun marketing story, the longer-term wellbeing effects on choir members are palpable.
Reports of buzzing with energy, feeling reinvigorated and even liberated combine with a sense of achievement and team connection.
One choir member from a Bristol law firm said: “When I am experiencing high levels of anxiety, I know my time with the choir will leave me feeling calmer and clear headed.”
Another singing lawyer said: “Joining choir has had a more positive impact on my mental health than I could ever have imagined. I walk out of rehearsal room feeling happier and walking taller.”
Eliza, who also runs the popular Bristol Choir Brigade in which she is proud to have a strong male contingent, is also currently leading sessions in the Sing for Happiness project at St George’s.
She is truly passionate about what singing can do for mental health: “When I first start a new workshop, people come up to me nervously and tell me they’ve no musical ability.
“But to be honest, it really doesn’t matter. It’s for everyone who enjoys singing. I ask if they’ve had a good time, and the answer is always yes!”
To find out more about Choir Works, visit www.choirworks.co.uk
Main photo: Eliza Fyfe
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