National Map: Singing For Health Groups

This map documents all Singing for Health and Wellbeing groups in the Republic of Ireland. The database is a unique collaboration between Sing Ireland and the Music Therapy Department at the University of Limerick.

This map documents all Singing for Health and Wellbeing groups in the Republic of Ireland. The database is a unique collaboration between Sing Ireland and the Music Therapy Department at the University of Limerick.

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Desmond College Choir

  • Post primary students
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • No longer meets.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Irish World Music Cafe

  • While the group is open to all, we are particularly interested in providing a singing space for new migrants in Ireland
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Approximately 6 times a year Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Meets online.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: No performances.

Ballybrown Church Senior Choir

  • Adult - no member is under 18
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal length: An hour.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Susan Browne Vocal and Performance Studio

  • Youth
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly and as required Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Headway Singers

  • Individuals with an Aquired Brain Injury
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Seperatly - we have done recordings and videos/merged together and shared among the groups.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

The Rolling Tones Rock Choir

  • Open to everyone.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • Zoom meetings.
  • Not publicly accessible.

Corpus Christi Community Choir

  • Marginalised Community
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • No longer meets.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Unity Gospel Choir Limerick

  • Open to everyone.
  • Audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 2 hours+.
  • Weekly Zoom sessions and choir Whatsapp.
  • Publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Monthly.

Chimers Mental Health Choir

  • Staff, service users and family/friends of people within the mental health sector of HSE, Mid West
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • No longer meets.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Parkinsongs

  • Individuals with Parkinson's Disease and their carers
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • We run sessions on Zoom.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Sing Together

  • Open to everyone.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • Zoom (once a week).
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Performs once a year.

Mountmellick Men's Shed

  • Men any age from 18-100
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • No longer meets.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Irish Wheelchair Association / Alvernia Portlaoise ROC

  • Persons with a Physical Disability
  • Audition required.
  • Rehearses: Monthly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Meets in the Resource & Outreach Centre Monthly with smaller groups.
  • Publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Performs once a year.

Sing for Joy

  • Persons with Special Needs, Downs Syndrome, Autism, Mental Health issues
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Via zoom each Wednesday.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Musical Memories

  • Inter-generational - Residents in care home settings and children in Primary schools.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Performances: No performances.

Camphill Jerpoint Thomastown

  • Open to everyone.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • No longer meets.
  • Performances: Performs once a year.

The Lady Desart Choir

  • Open to everyone.
  • Audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 2 hours+.
  • Publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Refrainer's choir

  • Senior citizens
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Occasionally, as time allows Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • No longer meets.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: No performances.

Alize's School of Singing

  • Open to everyone.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • We have moved online to zoom. The choir is now broken into groups of 5 and each group has a 30 minute weekly zoom slot.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

HSE Naas Staff Choir

  • HSE staff only, Health Service Staff in Naas Area (current & retired)
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • Zoom rehearsals.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

NLN Choices Maynooth Music Group

  • Adults with a Mental health condition
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Zoom initially, but now in person.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Monthly.

Voices of Spring

  • People living with dementia, carers, older people with other health concerns or who are living in isolation/in need of social outlets
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • Weekly coffee mornings on Zoom, regular contact via WhatsApp and phone, and also provide weekly themed playlists and make our own warmup/sing-along videos for choir members.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Performs between two and four times a year.

NFRC Singing for Wellbeing

  • Open to everyone.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 2 hours+.
  • Keep in contact via WhatsApp, Zoom, and meet outdoors when restrictions allow.
  • Not publicly accessible.

Millicent Singers

  • Open to everyone.
  • Audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 2 hours+.
  • Zoom calls monthly.
  • Publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Merlin Miscellany

  • HSE Staff
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • No longer meets.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

Ard Churam Community Choir

  • Open to everyone.
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: An hour.
  • Our choir director performed a new song each week through her Facebook page in order for choir members to learn and perform. We also keep in touch by phone..
  • Performances: Performs once a year.

Bryan Carr School of Performing Arts

  • School going Students
  • No audition required.
  • Rehearses: Weekly Rehearsal Length: 1-2 hours.
  • Meets online.
  • Not publicly accessible.
  • Performances: Between two and four times a year.

From October 2020 - April of 2021 researchers at UL contacted 2,736 stakeholders with links to singing for health and wellbeing, collecting data on singing groups and choirs across the country. The results, presented here, form a national and international public resource for singers, referrers, policymakers, carers, and other stakeholders invested in singing for health and wellbeing. Several gaps in provision have been identified and it is hoped that data contained here will encourage more people to try singing for health and wellbeing, provide compelling evidence for investment in new services and encourage stakeholders to establish groups in areas of low provision.

The evidence to date supports singing for health and wellbeing as a potentially cost-effective intervention, including increased feelings of social connection and enhanced memory and coping skills for individuals with dementia and their carers; positive experiences of group singing for individuals with cancer; respiratory wellbeing for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and improvements in vocal quality of life for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Social, psychological, and physical benefits are documented for the general public, homeless and marginalized individuals, adults with a chronic mental health condition and/or an intellectual or physical disability, and staff workplace choirs. While there is a growing body of evidence around the health and wellbeing benefits of group singing, there is a paucity of national maps of this nature. This resource is the first-ever national mapping of group singing for health and wellbeing in the ROI and one of few internationally. It serves as a roadmap for people wishing to sing for their health, establish or improve service provision, and network with others. We hope that this map encourages high-quality practice and investment as well as providing a useful resource for all living in Ireland.

Dr Hilary Moss, Senior Lecturer of Music Therapy, Chair of the Arts and Health Research Network, University of Limerick.