Hospital choir shows singing can be good therapy

A Military Wives-style choir created by staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital will be performing in the hospital’s East Atrium on Thursday.

Hilary Winch, senior occupational health nurse manager, will be conducting the choir in old favourites such as “Thank you for the Music”, “My Heart Will Go On” from the film “Titanic”, “Lean On Me” and “Your Love keeps Lifting Me Higher”, which was a huge hit for Jackie Wilson in the 60s.

They will be accompanied on the piano by Helen Darby, an administrator for the Cancer research Network, who volunteered to “help out” and has finished up being their regular pianist.

Meeting for an hour every Monday at 5.15pm, the choir is the result of a campaign by the hospital’s Workplace Health and Wellbeing team (formerly known as Occupational Health) to encourage staff to pursue workshops and activities that enhance their working lives.

“Music and singing are great for general wellbeing so we enlisted the help of our Hospital Arts co-ordinator to invite staff to join a hospital choir,” says Hilary, who until recently led the choir for the Salvation Army in Norwich. “People from all corners of the hospital responded and I must say I’m surprised and pleased by their enthusiasm.

“This Thursday will be our first ‘performance’ and we hope people will come along and see that singing can be a lot of fun.”

Other initiatives by the Health and Wellbeing team include health checks for all staff, a hospital running club and a slimming group. Staff are also being urged to sign up to Pledge 2012, in conjunction with Active Norfolk, to increase their physical activity in the run up to the Olympics.