A fortnightly singing group at Selandra Rise Retirement Village in Clyde North is attracting up to 30 residents, with organisers saying the program is helping boost wellbeing, memory and social connection among seniors.
The group calls itself Singing for Fun, as it doesn’t intend to be a choir, the organisers shared, as they would be too serious.
What began as a simple idea after a Christmas carols night has grown into one of the village’s most popular activities, drawing between 25 and 30 residents aged from their 70s to early 90s, about 10 per cent of the population of the village.
“In 2024, at the Christmas carols here, a couple of us saw that there were a lot of people singing along and enjoying it,” organiser Max Brown recalled.
Max, who has lived at Selandra Rise for eight years and has no formal musical background, helped form the group alongside fellow residents Tony Hughes, Jill Bingham, Hayden Bingham and others they call the “backstage crew”.
Together, they plan sessions, select songs, organise lyrics and keep the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming.
“We’re not really there to be a serious choir. Otherwise, it will destroy the whole spirit of it,” Tony said.
Songs range from The Seekers and Dean Martin to pop classics and old favourites that many residents grew up with.
Lyrics are printed in large fonts, music is played, and the group sings along together, guided by timing rather than strict conducting.
At the session attended by Star News, the group sang classics including Beyond the Sea, Botany Bay, Morningtown Ride and Hello Mary Lou.
The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, with residents following along attentively from black-covered lyric booklets, some seated, others standing, all focused on the music.
“We look up the songs, and if we think it’s at a level we can all sing at, then we select that singer and get it out,” Jill, who claimed to be the person who turns the music on, said.
For many members, the benefits go far beyond music.
“There are probably half a dozen people here who are in different stages of memory and materiality. And that has really brought them out,” Max said.
“They’re involved in the scene and enjoying the scene. And quite often, it’s time to go home, and they want to keep going.”
Selandra Rise wellbeing and activities coordinator Michelle Baxter-Hanna has seen the impact firsthand.
She said the group has become a source of purpose and connection, particularly for residents who might otherwise isolate themselves.
“They had this vision that they wanted to bring a group together, to bring the community together within here and help people,” she said.
“A lot of people isolate themselves. They may have dementia, things like that, but they didn’t want it to be called a choir. They just wanted to have a bit of fun.
“They’ve just gone leaps and bounds. They’ve gone from a couple of people having this thought to recruiting people, and every time it’s growing and growing and growing.”
Michelle said she gets really overwhelmed watching the seniors sing together because a lot of the songs they sing are what her grandpa used to sing to her.
“Like just before, the alphabet song, my pop used to sing that to us kids all the time. It brings back a lot of memories,” she said.
“There are so many positives out of this group.
“It keeps them very calm, and it keeps the cognitive working as well because of remembering the songs. Or in some cases, it’s bringing people’s memories back, so they remember the old songs.”
Singing for Fun meets at 2.30pm on the first and third Wednesdays at the village’s clubhouse.
The following are what group members say about their decision to be a part of Singing for Fun:
“I’ve been suffering with anxiety for a few weeks, and then when they started this up, it’s the best thing I ever done,” Julie said.
“I joined because I can’t really sing well, but the operative word for me was for fun. I thought it sounded like a good group too, and I love it,” Joy said.
“I have been in choirs. It gets people out. But also, it’s been proven. I’ve done studies on them. It’s very good for people with dementia,” Ian said.
“I came because if you’ve got music in your life, you’re always happy,” Jo said.
“This is my second Singing for Fun group. Today’s my first day at this group, and the original reason for me starting the group was that I was diagnosed with COPD, which is a progressive lung condition, so I wanted to do it to strengthen the lungs. But also, it’s good for my soul. I’ve always just loved every type of music. That’s why I’m here,” another Julie said.
