HEALTH

The healing power of

S
SONG
eated on a platform high
above the nave in the heart
of Chester Cathedral, the
members of Movers
Shakers choir murmur in
muted voices. Then, at a
signal from their musical
director, their voices rise and soar to the
cathedral’s graceful sandstone arches.
Elegantly dressed in black, the men in
cream ties and the women wearing cream
anemone buttonholes, the choir pause as
their voices echo away in the stillness. Then
those voices soar again in The Rhythm of
Singing can be uplifting, but for the Movers Shakers choir Life: “And the rhythm of life is a powerful
beat – puts a tingle in your fingers and a
from Chester it’s much more. For this group, who are tingle in your feet.”

affected by neurological disorders, it’s a lifeline This is followed by the

haunting lilt of Leonard
WORDS CAROL DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY HOWARD BARLOW Cohen’s Hallelujah,and a
jaunty rendition of the African
American spiritual Gospel
Train, as the alto and bass
voices echo the sopranos and
tenors. The concert ends with
choir members turning to one
another, flushed and beaming.
Yet this is no ordinary
group of singers: the award-
winning Movers Shakers choir
was formed to breathe new life
into people with Parkinson’s
and other neurological
disorders – the choir rehearses
at the Neuro Therapy Centre near Chester.
While they sing and socialise together, choir
members are also exercising facial muscles,
keeping their voices strong and staving off
swallowing difficulties.
“Singing together lifts the spirits without
a doubt,” says Marjorie Aston, one of eight
founder members of the choir, which was
formed in 2012, and who has multiple
Singers from sclerosis. “I’ve been singing most of my life,
Movers Shakers
perform a concert
at Chester Cathedral What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s is a nerve cells that make it
progressive neurological have died. This causes
condition and around problems in the brain that
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and here we’re like a family: we all look
after each other.”
“We have a wonderful social life, and
when I come here Parkinson’s simply
doesn’t exist – if you don’t think about it,
the disease goes away,” agrees Rosalie
Chapman. “We’re all in the same boat,
there’s no anxiety – and singing helps your
breathing too. We go home exhausted and
with sore throats, but it’s wonderful.”
Singer Neil Diamond
retired from touring
in January after
Choir members strengthen their voices
and swallowing muscles through song
And Sarah Davies, the youngest choir
member at 30, says simply: “I have to use a
wheelchair all my life, because I have
genetic spastic paraparesis 11. But I love
singing and I love music.”
As well as causing tremors and muscle
stiffness, Parkinson’s can affect the voice so
people speak quietly (see pink box, left).
“Because my voice is very soft now, noisy
places are very difficult,” says Lyn Law. “I
tried a loudness workshop to improve it but
this is much better, and singing really helps
someone as quiet as me.”
Couples come to Movers Shakers together
– friends and carers come too. “My husband
Ron was a choral singer and started getting
frustrated when he couldn’t reach the
notes,” says retired GP Liz McClure.
“That was one of the first symptoms, years
before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
“So finding this choir was wonderful; it

145,000 people in the UK get worse over time. a Parkinson’s inspired me to join and take piano lessons
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are diagnosed with it, or Symptoms can diagnosis. Michael too. As Ron’s disease progressed we’d sing
one adult in every 350. include tremors, J Fox (left) and together at night – always songs from here.
People with Parkinson’s slow movement and Billy Connolly also When Ron died, the choir sang at his funeral.
SHUTTERSTOCK

have too little of the muscle stiffness. It have the disease. “As a progressive neurological disease,
chemical dopamine, can also affect the www.parkinsons. Parkinson’s affects muscles including those
because some of the voice. org.uk of speech and swallowing,” she adds. “So
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singing stimulates the muscles of the voice

16 Be Healthy Summer 2016 www.benenden.co.uk 17

 HEALTH
box, or larynx, and helps speech, as well as
improving the muscles for swallowing.”
For people with Parkinson’s, voice
problems can be incredibly frustrating. “We
know that 60 to 80% of people with
Parkinson’s develop speech problems, and
singing is a very good way of improving
quality and voice range,” says Dr Beckie
Port, research communications manager at
Parkinson’s UK.
“People with Parkinson’s can start
speaking in short rushes of speech, and
struggling to get their words out, and singing
can help improve the loudness of the voice
as well as helping with quality of the voice,
which can become
very monotone
and level as the
disease progresses.
“Parkinson’s
affects the area of
the brain
responsible for
motor movement.
Just as it can affect
the handwriting,
which becomes
progressively
smaller, it can
affect the vocal
cords, which
become stiffer
and tighter.”
So people have
difficulty talking to family members, making
a telephone call or communicating outside
the home. Yet while medication can help
with other symptoms of the disease, there is
very little to boost vocal power, says Dr Port:
“People tell us that they wish there was
something to help with their voice, since
treatments such as deep brain stimulation
can actually make their voice worse.”
Singing together lifts the I have used a wheelchair all my
spirits without a doubt. I’ve life, because I have genetic
been singing most of my life, spastic paraparesis 11. But I
and here we’re like a family. love singing and I love music.
Marjorie Aston Sarah Davies
18 Be Healthy Autumn 2018
Musical director
Howard Kane
leads the choir
And since some of the symptoms of
Parkinson’s can be mistaken for being drunk,
some people gradually lose confidence in
appearing in public, says Dr Port. “But going
out and joining a choir can have a huge effect
on confidence, and improve mood and help
to reduce depression.
“We hear stories where Parkinson’s has
caused people to lose their confidence, and
Because my voice is very soft
now, noisy places are very
difficult. Singing really helps
someone as quiet as me.
Lyn Law
Medical
many describe their non-motor symptoms, treatment, including bladder and urethra It’s not only people with
such as anxiety and communication
difficulties, as having a greater impact on
tests, coronary heart disease treatments, and
for surgical patients after spinal anaesthesia. Parkinson’s who benefit notes
everyday life than their motor symptoms Stroke patients whose speech is affected from singing Studies into the benefits
(such as tremor, stiffness and slowness). – up to one third of stroke survivors – can of singing for people
“Parkinson’s can also affect the way the sometimes produce accurate words by with Parkinson’s have
brain deals with anxiety and stressful singing familiar songs, so melodic been relatively small.
situations, and can lead to depression. But intonation can help and the Stroke tense. The charity also ran a study with the However, University
the social aspect of joining a singing group Association has stroke choirs. Music therapy Royal College of Music: they took saliva of Iowa research in 2016
may help combat this by improving mood, also benefits people with mental health samples from choir members before and found that “singing may
as well as helping with communication.” problems too, says MIND. after the hour-long session, and sent them be a beneficial and
But it’s not only people with Parkinson’s People with lung conditions who join to a lab for biomarker analysis. engaging treatment
who benefit from song. There is growing singing groups organised by the British The Sing with Us choirs helped to choice for improving and
evidence that music can decrease stress and Lung Foundation say it improves their lung improve people’s anxiety and depression, the maintaining vocal
make patients less anxious during function, and brings a great rush of studies found – and those with the highest function and respiratory
endorphins which help fight depression. depression levels had the greatest short-term pressure in persons
And the Alzheimer’s Society runs Singing improvement in mood. Choir members’ with Parkinson’s”,
for the Brain groups around the country, endorphin and oxytocin levels, which relate and a 2017 Iowa study
with benefits for both people with dementia to social bonding, had also increased. found that therapeutic
and their carers. “But most remarkably, there was a singing can benefit
And when Tenovus Cancer Care set up its positive change in biomarkers related to clinical symptoms,
first Sing with Us choir in 2010, choir immune function and inflammatory including swallowing.
members told the charity how much better response in the body, both of which may be “While more research
singing made them feel. “Since we’re based linked to the ability to fight serious illnesses is needed to confirm how
in Wales with our wonderful tradition of such as cancer,” says Iwan Jones, adding much benefit may be
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music, singing was the natural choice,” says that Tenovus is about to complete an expected from such
Iwan Jones, the charity’s head of wellbeing. in-depth two-year study. activities, we know
“But we wanted to understand the biology Just as singing regularly can improve that singing is a safe and
Singing stimulates the muscles behind what people were telling us too.” mood in cancer patients, and people with fun activity which, at
HOWARD BARLOW
of the voice box, or larynx, Working with Cardiff University, Tenovus Parkinson’s feel better after a choir session, least anecdotally, may
and helps speech, as well as surveyed more than 1,000 participants, and there is growing evidence that music really aid communication,”
improving swallowing muscles, found that after singing choir members felt can help healing, as well as bringing joy to says Dr Port.
Liz McClure less afraid, confused, sad, angry, tired and all around.
www.benenden.co.uk 19