Music to their minds

The Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health was set up in 2004. It focuses on researching the contribution of music and other participative arts activities in promoting the well-being and health of individuals and communities. As part of Canterbury Christ Church University, the Centre represents a unique collaboration between the Faculties of Arts & Humanities and of Health & Social Care, and has members of both those areas as researchers. One of the main strands of the Centre’s work has been the evaluation of participative singing groups for older people (Silver Song Clubs), set up and administered by the Centre’s third sector partner organisation, Sing For Your Life Ltd (SFYL). There are currently more than 30 such clubs in South East England meeting monthly in community venues, where about 20 older people gather together to sing, facilitated by a trained musician and accompanist, and supported by volunteers from local choral societies or singing groups. A model for the clubs has been developed by SFYL which ensures consistent and quality provision.

Recently completed research found that participants found the clubs to be both enjoyable and beneficial to health. Attending the clubs tended to counteract feelings of depression, provided an opportunity to make friends, had some positive effect on breathing, co-ordination and ability to relax, and helped with memory and recall. A number of participants had sung in the past, but inability to get out or lack of facilities had led to the loss of what was for many a valued pastime. It appears that providing transport, a suitable venue and a valued activity may overcome some of the difficulties of engaging older people in the arts. The research provides some evidence that group singing for older people can benefit health. Other work by the Centre on choral singing, and reviewing the related literature, also point to this conclusion, with the majority of people involved in such singing groups being over 50 years old. This is an important issue for health policy at a time when the number of older people in the UK is rising, and cost-effective ways of contributing to a healthy old age are being sought. The government already recognises the value of the arts in contributing to health (for example, 2007 saw the publication of an Arts and Health Prospectus which featured many examples of initiatives involving older people). Centre researchers hope that their work will eventually support an initiative, ‘Singing on Prescription’. However, in order to convince possible funders of the potential of singing with others to improve peoples’ health and well-being, there is a need for further work. Therefore there are plans to develop this line of research in conjunction with SFYL, the local Primary Care Trust, arts development officers and others. Such collaboration is essential to the Centre’s work if research findings are to be translated into health and social care policy with mainstream funding. The Centre researchers would, therefore, be interested to hear from other arts managers and professionals who are involved in this area of the arts