Etherington (right) is partnering with Spa Business’ Jane Kitchen (left)
Concert tour organiser and chorister El Etherington is teaming up with her cousin Jane Kitchen, contributing editor at Spa Business, to launch a retreat company which will deliver the therapeutic benefits of singing – both mental and physical – to spas.
“The documented benefits of singing – and in particular, singing in a group – are profound,” says Etherington, co-founder of Wellness-Sing. She explains that participants can reduce stress, boost their immune system, improve mental alertness and focus, improve posture and build social connections all through the simple act of singing.
Wellness-Sing, which launched in January, will partner with luxury wellness destinations to host the three- to seven-day retreats which will vary in price depending on location. The workshops will include up to four hours of singing a day and introduce a variety of choral techniques, alongside complementary modalities.
“Many of our guests at our pilot retreat who had never had singing instruction before were surprised by how physical it is, and how breathing and muscle control are involved,” says Etherington. “It’s a perfect activity for practising mindfulness… Combining spa time and yoga classes with singing is a natural fit – everyone came out of the weekend feeling refreshed and grounded.”
Wellness-Sing also plans to offer informal lectures and unique, ‘one-off’ experiences based on location – think Scandinavian joiku singing at the top of a hill after a sunrise hike.
Etherington studied vocal arts and community music to masters level, has been a member of choirs all her life and also has experience as a music session leader in a therapeutic environment. For the past 12 years, she has run concert tours across Europe for leading tour consultancy ACFEA.
The genesis for Wellness-Sing came about on a weekend in Riga, Latvia, where Kitchen was writing about pirts, a local sauna tradition, and Etherington was on tour with the UK’s Reading Bach Choir. A weekend spent experiencing both singing and wellness led them to talk about bringing their two worlds together, and Wellness-Sing was born.
Etherington says: “My hope is that these retreats attract not just seasoned singers, but also those who have yet to experience the joy that singing in a group can bring.”
Kitchen adds: “With loneliness on the rise – and new evidence of just how harmful it is to our mental health – a retreat like this has the added benefit of bringing people together to feel like they’re part of a unit. So much of the feedback that we got from our pilot weekend focused on that aspect – the connections made, the new friendships started. That, to me, is the magic.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 1
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Event saunas, sunlight therapy
and health and happiness retreats
feature in our programming series
Interview: Marc Cohen
Dr Marc Cohen is launching an extreme
bathing retreat and writing children’s
books. He talks to Jane Kitchen
Promotional feature: Vital Tech
Infrared technology is growing in popularity, Vital Tech’s Alexandra Gavsevitch
and Serge Parienti explain how it works
Focus on: Equine therapy
What is equine therapy and how
can spas tap into horsepower?
Kathleen Whyman finds out
Wellness: Chill out
Is going sub-zero the next big thing?
Kath Hudson takes a closer look
at the benefits of cryotherapy
Promotional feature: The Wellness
Noha Khalil of The Wellness discusses how
gym and spa elements are increasingly
coming together through design to
deliver outstanding fitness concepts
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Etherington (right) is partnering with Spa Business’ Jane Kitchen (left)
Concert tour organiser and chorister El Etherington is teaming up with her cousin Jane Kitchen, contributing editor at Spa Business, to launch a retreat company which will deliver the therapeutic benefits of singing – both mental and physical – to spas.
“The documented benefits of singing – and in particular, singing in a group – are profound,” says Etherington, co-founder of Wellness-Sing. She explains that participants can reduce stress, boost their immune system, improve mental alertness and focus, improve posture and build social connections all through the simple act of singing.
Wellness-Sing, which launched in January, will partner with luxury wellness destinations to host the three- to seven-day retreats which will vary in price depending on location. The workshops will include up to four hours of singing a day and introduce a variety of choral techniques, alongside complementary modalities.
“Many of our guests at our pilot retreat who had never had singing instruction before were surprised by how physical it is, and how breathing and muscle control are involved,” says Etherington. “It’s a perfect activity for practising mindfulness… Combining spa time and yoga classes with singing is a natural fit – everyone came out of the weekend feeling refreshed and grounded.”
Wellness-Sing also plans to offer informal lectures and unique, ‘one-off’ experiences based on location – think Scandinavian joiku singing at the top of a hill after a sunrise hike.
Etherington studied vocal arts and community music to masters level, has been a member of choirs all her life and also has experience as a music session leader in a therapeutic environment. For the past 12 years, she has run concert tours across Europe for leading tour consultancy ACFEA.
The genesis for Wellness-Sing came about on a weekend in Riga, Latvia, where Kitchen was writing about pirts, a local sauna tradition, and Etherington was on tour with the UK’s Reading Bach Choir. A weekend spent experiencing both singing and wellness led them to talk about bringing their two worlds together, and Wellness-Sing was born.
Etherington says: “My hope is that these retreats attract not just seasoned singers, but also those who have yet to experience the joy that singing in a group can bring.”
Kitchen adds: “With loneliness on the rise – and new evidence of just how harmful it is to our mental health – a retreat like this has the added benefit of bringing people together to feel like they’re part of a unit. So much of the feedback that we got from our pilot weekend focused on that aspect – the connections made, the new friendships started. That, to me, is the magic.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 1
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Event saunas, sunlight therapy
and health and happiness retreats
feature in our programming series
Interview: Marc Cohen
Dr Marc Cohen is launching an extreme
bathing retreat and writing children’s
books. He talks to Jane Kitchen
Promotional feature: Vital Tech
Infrared technology is growing in popularity, Vital Tech’s Alexandra Gavsevitch
and Serge Parienti explain how it works
Focus on: Equine therapy
What is equine therapy and how
can spas tap into horsepower?
Kathleen Whyman finds out
Wellness: Chill out
Is going sub-zero the next big thing?
Kath Hudson takes a closer look
at the benefits of cryotherapy
Promotional feature: The Wellness
Noha Khalil of The Wellness discusses how
gym and spa elements are increasingly
coming together through design to
deliver outstanding fitness concepts
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
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