Performance goes down well at the Western General, so we were delighted that HarmonyChoir agreed to put on a performance in the main foyer area of the Western General. We’ve had a few public performances in the past and they are always very well received.

HarmonyChoir are a group of singers, some of whom have lived experience with mental health symptoms. The group come together to sing, enjoy each other’s company, and positively challenge the stigma that is so often associated with mental illness.

As their name suggests, the HarmonyChoir sing four-part harmony, Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. All of the music that they sing has been arranged by their very talented Musical Director, Ben Jones. Currently their repertoire includes Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Bad Day, Con Te Partiro, You Will be Found, Mr Songbird, I Will Survive, Wind of Change, and Stand by Me.

There is growing evidence that supports the health benefits of communal singing; it reportedly strengthens the immune system; can be a great physical workout and even help improve your posture! And then there are the social benefits in singing together. It can quite simply widen your circle of friends, boost your confidence and help you improve your communication skills. So armed with that information lets hear some more of those sweet harmonies.

All are welcome to join the Harmony Choir, no auditions and no previous experience required. All you need to do is love singing. You can find out more at: http://harmonychoir.com/

Other news from the Western:

• Can making art help you sleep better and make you feel more content whilst in hospital? - Late 2021, artist Hailey Beavis began a series of art making workshops at the Western General Hospital. The workshops are supported by Senior Charge Nurse Carol Paterson and form part of programme in the Meaningful Activity Centre. The small, intimate group, allowed Hailey to work with individuals and tune in to how they were doing, […]
• Lost for Words -   Lost for Words is our creative writing project. The first phase has just finished, and we were delighted to have author Laura Marney as our first writer. Laura is a Scottish writer with a great sense of humour, as anyone who has read her second novel, ‘Nobody Loves a Ginger Baby’, will know!  Laura […]
• Crafting with Joan - Joan is a long time friend of the Hospital Arts Programme and has been attending the workshops at the Glasshouses for many years. For anyone who knows Joan, they will know that lockdown is not going to put a stop to her creativity. Here you can see Joan displaying some of the works she had […]
• Welcome to the Blog - First of all, we want to acknowledge the amazing work that NHS staff have been doing over the last 5 months in what are incredibly challenging times. THANK YOU. Although Anne and Trevor have not been able to work on the wards during lockdown, they have been busy. Anne has kept in touch with various […]
• case study: singing through change - Using interactive performance to gain a better understanding of patients’ needs and staff practice at Liberton Hospital in order to address immediate issues of low motivation, social isolation and boredom; ensuring relevance and greater impact of longer-term approaches. We had been approached to provide input to Liberton in early 2018 as a date for a […]
• One hundred and fifty years of healthcare - It has been a real pleasure meeting up with staff past and present over the last year or so to hear more about their connection to the Western General. Artlink has been supporting the hospital to find ways of marking 150 years of healthcare being provided on the site; from its first incarnation as the […]
• Reading Friends - Over the last months we have been working in partnership with The Scottish Book Trust and The Reading Agency to bring Reading Friends to care for the elderly wards. Reading Friends is a UK wide scheme that uses books and reading as a way of fostering friendship and creating meaningful moments that have long term […]
• The Value of Meaningful Activities | Arts Programme Jan – Mar 2019 - We work with professional artists who are flexible and responsive in their approach and sensitive to the situations patients are in. It is this empathy that starts and sustains conversations and opens up possibilities and potentials. We have witnessed how activity can change behaviours and seen how the process of working alongside someone can change distressed and confused behaviour into engaged and concentrated behaviour that would have seemed impossible at the beginning of the workshop.
• Artworkshops at the Western General - Artist Anne Elliot introduces culinary art excitement into Ward 50!
• Working Together – Hospital Activities Programme Sep | Dec 2018 - The new activities programme it out!
• Talking, Listening & learning – Hospital Activities Programme Jul – Sep 2018 - Activities for July to September 2018 – enjoy!
• It’s Something You Said – Hospital Activities Programme Apr | Jun 2018 - The programme is a direct response to your recent feedback on our winter activities programme. In response to the needs of people on long stay elderly care wards, we will be extending our events programme and creating weekly performance events. We are also investigating new work which better supports patients as they move from the hospital to the community, so look out for Anne Elliot's new activities which are all about encouraging greater community involvement.
• Open Show 2018: Call for Submissions - It’s nearly time for the annual staff and patient exhibition! This year it will be taking place in the gallery at the Western General Hospital from 1st March – April 2018. The exhibition so far has been developed by illustrator Laura Cave Macgowan, in collaboration with staff and patients who responded to an earlier call for […]
• Ward Activities at the Western - A new programme of music, songs and stroytelling is coming your way this January.
• Exchanging Knowledge - Activities programme for January through to March 2018.