Singing group’s healing song

• Published date: 08 April 2024
• Author: Leanne Warr
• Publication title: Bush Telegraph

“For me, starting this group was about respiratory health,” she says

“It was about social and mental wellbeing, making connections with people.”

Shirley, who also sat on Tararua District Council until she decided to step down at the last local election, formed the group five years ago.

Music has always been a part of her family.

“My dad was a musician. All of my life we’ve been singing, dancing.”

She says one of the things she learned during her time on the council was looking for drivers to put things on in the community.

She says that she had heard stories about the health benefits of singing and realised if she wanted to create a singing group in Pahiatua, she would have to be the driver.

Shirley’s mum had respiratory issues but loved singing.

“Being somebody that sang a lot helped her maintain her respiratory system a lot longer.”

Shirley advertised the group and initially, it was people aged 60 or over who came along.

They carried on until lockdown, which she says sort of “put the kybosh” on things for a while.

Now the group has about 28 members who come along with an average of about 16 to 20 each week.

Shirley says it’s for people to come along, have a laugh and a sing song.

“It’s exercising their bodies from the inside and a bit of the outside,” she...