The Silver Song Club Project: A sense of well-being through participatory singing

The Silver Song Club Project provides an opportunity for older people to come together regularly and participate in a programme of singing and music making, and is based on the principle that singing and music have the potential to benefit health and well-being. An evaluation was undertaken to investigate the development of the Silver Song Club Project, and to explore the experiences and benefits gained by participants. A total of 369 participants (in 26 song clubs across the south east) completed a short questionnaire to provide information on personal characteristics, previous musical experience, anticipation and enjoyment of the clubs and perceived benefits. It was found that those attending enjoy a positive experience; with two-thirds of those participating saying that it makes them feel better. It is argued that the sense of well-being experienced by people attending the sessions is due to the potential of singing well-known songs to act as a social catalyst, and the inherent physical and psychological characteristics of singing itself.