Occupational Therapy students’ Singing 4 Breathing group get ready for Royal and Derngate debut

Singing 4 Breathing, a group set up by Occupational Therapy students to help people diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), have been chosen to sing at the prestigious Royal and Derngate on 13 June as part of a community concert.

The Singing 4 Breathing choir features people who suffer from COPD; a lifelong condition that affects the lungs making it difficult for people to breathe. The choir’s origins lie in a student project – an initial run of six musical sessions attended by members of the public with COPD – and the project has now grown into a full and tuneful choir.

The group are now preparing to take part in a Community Concert at the Royal and Derngate Theatre in Northampton on 13 June. Chosen by Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire, the Singing 4 Breathing choir will be joining local dance and performance groups for the variety show, alongside the Starlight Stage School, Weston Favell Primary school choir and Bridgewater Primary School. The singers will be accompanied by some of the UK’s finest musicians.

Co-founder and third year student James Wyatt explained: “The Singing for Breathing group meets every Wednesday for singing sessions at Parklands Community Centre. This group is amazing, not just for everybody involved but for the community as a whole. Singing is an occupation that many people enjoy and there are huge mental and physical health benefits to being in a choir. If lung capacity is improved it’s easier to take part in daily activities, get out of the house, meet people, and do the things you enjoy.”

“We’re really looking forward to taking to the Royal and Derngate stage alongside all the other performers!”

Jenny Devers, tutor in Occupational Therapy at the University of Northampton, explained: “It’s amazing how on the back of a module assignment, with enthusiasm, commitment and passion students can develop their achievements into something that touches the lives of others! They are a credit to our university and profession.”

Tickets for the concert are available from the Royal and Derngate box office, and cost £9.50 for adults, £7.50 for children and concessions. Book early to avoid disappointment. The event takes place on 13 June, from 7:30pm.

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Designed for people with respiratory conditions, the free singing sessions are held at Parklands Community Centre every Wednesday between 1-2pm. Formal diagnosis is not required to attend, and all are welcome.​ The group are on Facebook and Twitter.