A Solihull community choir and UK-based Buddhist monks will be educating guests about the therapeutic powers of singing and how to improve mental health at the wellness event of the year.
Pop Chorus, which runs several choirs across Warwickshire and Solihull, is set to perform a collection of uplifting pop hits at the Being Well Festival at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
The choir will perform songs from their extensive repertoire to guests at the high-profile event on Thursday, October 24, as well as hosting workshops to give people a taste of the positive effects of singing in a group.
The community choir has grown from 20 members to more than 300 in the last six years and gone on to record songs at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London as well as perform at the Lincoln Centre in New York last year.
Anya Small, Director of Pop Chorus, said: “The only objective for Pop Chorus is that members leave our sessions feeling better.
“We are open to anyone. The sessions are mainly about improving wellbeing, it can be an incredible feeling when all of our voices come together and make some amazing sounds.”
In addition, nine Buddhist monks from the Wat Santiwongsaram temple in Birmingham and the Wat Pa Buddharam in Northampton are set to bless the wellness event and they will be joined by three nuns.
Jenny Loynton LL.B. (Hons) DL, Director of Loynton & Co Solicitors, helped to establish the link between the temple and the festival.
Jenny, whose firm is sponsoring the monks’ visit to the Being Well Festival, said: “We are hoping to educate people about the healing powers of the temple and are extremely grateful to the monks for giving up their time to share their spiritual experience with guests.”
The monks will arrive at the festival prior to VIPs where they will eat their only meal for the day, on a table completely separate from the nuns, as it is forbidden for them to have physical contact.
They will then perform their blessing as guests arrive for lunch, before engaging in meditation.
The monks will be presented with a small gift to take back to their temple as guests enjoy the multitude of high-profile speakers at the event.
The Being Well event will give visitors the opportunity to shop at a ‘wellbeing marketplace’, take part in activities and taster sessions, receive one-to-one advice on health and wellbeing and attend a special ticketed lunch.
Breast Cancer Haven, which will benefit from funds raised throughout the day, operates from locations across the UK and provides emotional, physical and practical support for anyone affected by breast cancer including one-to-one therapy and counselling for family and friends.
The event is free but visitors will need to book tickets to attend by going to www.beingwellfestival.co.uk or www.beingwellfestival2019.eventbrite.co.uk
Visit beingwellfestival.co.uk to find out more.