The therapeutic harmony found in joining a choral group

MOVE over yoga — communal singing is the new activity taking centre stage, offering therapeutic benefits and stretching more than those vocal chords,for a growing number of older people in Ireland.

Organisers of Irish choral groups estimate that at least half of participants are aged over 50 and that the mental and physical benefits from singing in harmony, aside from the social plus of meeting new people, makes it a mood-enhancing experience for those who partake.

And there’s growing research to support this. Last year a Swedish study, ‘The Body’s Musical Score’, found that singing together influenced the heart rate of choir members and had a calming positive effect.