A UNIQUE singing group has been launched in Bantry to support and enhance the vocal wellbeing of those living with Parkinson’s, their carers and families.

Called ‘Sing for your Life’ it IS the brainchild of Eilish Butler who is committed to helping those living with the neurological disorder to proactively protect against vocal deterioration, particularly in loss of volume which can arise as a symptom of the condition.

A combination of her passion for singing and her own experience of illness led Eilish to launch the group associated with Parkinson’s Association Ireland last April, supported by a grant from Cork County Council through the Creative Ireland programme.

Eilish, who lives in Durrus, is highly qualified: training in classical singing in the Netherlands and obtaining an MA in Chant & Song from the University of Limerick. She also studied vocal pedagogy and therapeutic singing in Germany.

‘And my experience of chronic illness has convinced me of the incontestable value of singing for physical wellbeing as well as its psycho spiritual benefit for personal development,’ she told The Southern Star.

‘It also puts me in position to be able to empathise and relate to the challenges faced by those living with Parkinson’s.’

The focus of the group is on singing as preventive care for the voice – while also having fun.

‘We draw on the range of singing exercises from the School of Uncovering the Voice (developed by Swedish opera singer Valborg Werbeck) to build a singing practice which can greatly enhance the flexibility, resonance, pitch and power of the voice while generating a sense of deep wellbeing and joy,’ Eilish explained.

‘For the 15,000 or so people living in Ireland with Parkinson’s disease, maintenance of the voice is critical to their long term prognosis: over the course of a lifetime it’s is possible that some may find their voice loses volume, capacity to express and communicate and power of articulation. There is a strong focus in these singing exercises on developing an understanding of how the voice works and how to support its wellness.’ By including carers and family in the group, the hope is that it might lend itself towards deeper insight into the challenges faced in vocal health by participants as well as understanding how singing can help mitigate and manage their prognosis.

The feedback so far has been hugely positive.

‘As a father of young children being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at a relatively young age, I struggled to find resources and groups that were appropriate and meaningful to me, and my changing situation. When I joined ‘Sing for Your Life’ I immediately experienced a sense of community and acceptance,’ said Jools Rixon, Durrus.

‘Eilish’s amazing approach to vocal adaption, and work out, means I have the awareness and confidence to communicate better and feel more connected to the people and the world around me. Meeting and chatting with people with similar struggles and experiences has meant so much to me and I no longer feel a sense of increasing isolation. I leave each session with a sense of positivity and confidence that I can have an impact on how I communicate with Parkinson’s.’

Jud Weidner, Bantry, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2021.

‘One of the things I was warned about was the subtle and severe way in which one’s voice can be degraded and lost if one does not take care to look after it. I have been delighted with my progress so far.’

Patricia Bowler, Glengarriff, attends the group in the capacity of carer and strongly encourages others to join.

‘My experience with Parkinson’s is rooted in being a daughter of a person with Parkinson’s disease. Now my partner has it.  I have always enjoyed singing in the background chorus and love that this class is bringing us together as a community. I feel it is important for me to understand the vocal workings and progression of Parkinson’s on the voice to help cope with situations.’

Quentin Gargan, Mealagh Valley, said he found he was ‘sliding into silence’ with Parkinson’s.

‘I did some training to recover my voice with HSE speech therapists. It is great to be able to follow this up in a fun environment with a weekly focus on maintaining and improving my vocal strength. Prevention is always better than cure, and hopefully more of us with Parkinson’s can join in and enjoy exercise, music and song while maintaining or reclaiming our voices.’

There’s also a strong fun element to the group which is currently running as a pilot project.

‘The aim is to strike a balance between exercises to benefit the voice and songs to uplift the whole person. In the longer term, we aim to find opportunities to perform as a choir, ideally once per term: to build confidence, embed the choir into the community as well as providing a social outlet for connection and creativity,’ said Eilish.

The group meet on Monday mornings from 10.30am to noon in the Christian Fellowship Hall, Bantry. Terms comprise blocks of six sessions, with the current term running until December 8th. New members are welcome to join at any time.

• For more information contact Eilish (pictured left) at [email protected]