Health and wellbeing benefits of group singing for older people

Numerous reports indicate reduced wellbeing, and more loneliness was experienced by older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we know little about the experiences and wellbeing of group singers. This research aimed to assess the wellbeing and loneliness of older adults in an open-to-all singing group before and during the pandemic in the UK as well as hearing about their experiences. Older adults who participated in group singing completed assessments of wellbeing (EQ-5D-5 L) and loneliness (De Jong loneliness questionnaires) and provided subjective accounts of their singing experiences before and during the pandemic. The findings suggest that there were no differences in any dimension of wellbeing and loneliness scores prior to versus during the pandemic, although singers reported poorer overall health during the pandemic compared with singers before the pandemic. Additionally, singers’ subjective accounts demonstrated the benefits of group singing before and during the pandemic were largely similar in terms of feeling positive, experiencing enjoyment and having meaningful social connections. Interestingly, singers described unique experiences of online singing during the pandemic that “nullified the effects of lockdown,” highlighting that singing was sustained during the “extraordinary circumstances.”