Singing Mamas Todmorden

Directions Website Contact the organisation

Singing Mamas Todmorden A space for women with or without children to pause, reflect and sing simple, uplifting songs

The brain needs challenge. Not pressure… challenge. Something interesting to work out, something new to reach for.✨In a ...
08/10/2026

The brain needs challenge. Not pressure… challenge. Something interesting to work out, something new to reach for.✨

In a Singing Mamas session, the learning is woven into the experience. You might be finding a harmony you’ve never sung before. You might be picking up a song in another language. You might be used to reading sheet music, and discovering that learning by ear is a completely different skill, one that uses different parts of your brain entirely.

This matters, especially in the early years of motherhood, when life can narrow in ways that are hard to name. Having something that genuinely stretches you (not in a stressful way, in a satisfying way) is one of the five things the NHS says we need for our wellbeing.

You won’t be out of your depth. But you’ll leave having learned something. Every time.

What’s a song that felt tricky at first but has become a favourite? We’d love to know in the comments 👇

Real stories from real mums. This is why Singing Mamas exists ✨“As someone who is neurodivergent and suffered from postn...
27/09/2026

Real stories from real mums. This is why Singing Mamas exists ✨

“As someone who is neurodivergent and suffered from postnatal depression, attending Singing Mamas has been amazing for my wellbeing. I wish I had attended sooner! Polly has created an inclusive space where I can just be myself and enjoy the power of music.”

- Group member, West Midlands | Leader: Polly (Birmingham)

Visit the link in our bio or drop us a DM for details on where to find your local group 🧡

Mindfulness has a bit of an image problem. It can feel like one more thing you’re supposed to be doing… another way to f...
22/09/2026

Mindfulness has a bit of an image problem. It can feel like one more thing you’re supposed to be doing… another way to fail at being present.

But at its core, taking notice just means pausing. Checking in. Letting your attention rest somewhere intentional rather than spinning in every direction at once.

Singing does this almost automatically. When you’re learning the words to a new song, or holding a harmony, or just listening to the sound of many voices doing something together, your mind has to be there. It can’t easily be somewhere else.

Many of the songs we choose in Singing Mamas are also quietly reflective, giving you a moment to check in with how you actually are, without having to say it out loud to anyone.

You don’t have to know how to meditate. You don’t have to be still. You just have to sing.

Make sure you’re following us to see how this looks in practice across our groups every week.

🧡 Meet our Singing Mamas Leaders 🧡We asked Lizzie why she joined Singing Mamas…“I wanted to support people but in a diff...
17/09/2026

🧡 Meet our Singing Mamas Leaders 🧡

We asked Lizzie why she joined Singing Mamas…

“I wanted to support people but in a different and more creative way and in a way that gave me more autonomy and flexibility to work around my family. I had a strong intuition this was for me!”

Lizzie runs Singing Mamas groups in Hove - For more details including time, venue and price, or to book a session please contact Lizzie Baker directly. 🧡

👉 There are Singing Mamas groups running across the UK and internationally.
DM us ‘findagroup’ and we’ll send you the link to find your local leader ✨

14/09/2026

Today one of our trainees brought a Welsh song tucked up her sleeve 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Within minutes the whole room was singing in Welsh!

This is what our leader development days look like. Songs from everywhere, shared by women from all walks of life, making every single training day completely unique. 🧡

👉 Interested in becoming a Singing Mamas leader? Follow the link in our bio.

🔈 Heno Heno

Real stories from real mums. This is why Singing Mamas exists ✨“If I’m having a tough day or week, coming to Singing Mam...
12/09/2026

Real stories from real mums. This is why Singing Mamas exists ✨

“If I’m having a tough day or week, coming to Singing Mamas is like a re-set. It puts things into perspective and I always feel so much better.” - Group member, North West England | Leader: Emily (Chorley)

Visit the link in our bio or drop us a DM for details on where to find your local group 🧡

15/08/2026

This is what a Singing Mamas leader development day looks like ✨

Trainees coming together, learning songs, building harmonies one line at a time until something really special happens in the room.

The song is Hug in A Cup and watching it grow from a single line into a three part harmony is honestly one of our favourite things to witness 😍

This is how our leaders learn their craft. And this is what they go on to bring to their groups every single week. 🧡

Feeling called to do this work? Follow the link in our bio to find out more about training as a Singing Mamas leader.

09/07/2026

It is such a treat getting out to visit other Singing Mamas groups and something I always look forward to. Different mamas, different babies, different venue, same heart and joy and connection.

And to see these groups now becoming a part of the fabric of a family hub is just incredible.

Thank you, Carol and Rhea, for the work you’ve done in your community for years, and for adding Singing Mamas to the list of offers open to local mums.

P.S. I have long been a collector of stories at Singing Mamas. Stories about mums who find connection in their loneliest moments, stories about the leaders who create that space to connect, stories about the ever - expanding world of creative health.

I’m looking forward to sharing more of these stories with you, here, over the coming weeks and months.

03/07/2026

Come behind the scenes with us at our June song leader development day in Bristol.

Trainees building their practice, leaders refining theirs, everyone reconnecting to why we do this, plus a lot of singing and a truly sensational amount of cake.

Singing Mamas exists to place that mama and baby at the centre of the circle. To give her a community to join where she is supported, heard and looked after. We also have a lot of laughs and cake!

Curious about bringing this work to your community?

Give us a follow to find out more about the work Singing Mamas leaders do and see whether it feels like something you could do.

🧡 Meet our Singing Mamas Leaders 🧡We asked Anita why she trained as a Singing Mamas leader…“I’ve been to a lot of mum gr...
27/06/2026

🧡 Meet our Singing Mamas Leaders 🧡

We asked Anita why she trained as a Singing Mamas leader…

“I’ve been to a lot of mum groups and wanted to offer something different... Specifically for mums but still focused on connecting mums with bubs and especially mums with other mums.”

Anita runs a Singing Mamas group on Monday mornings in Sydney, Australia!

For more details including time, venue and price, or to book a session please contact Anita directly. 🧡

Email - [email protected]

There are Singing Mamas groups running across the UK and internationally.
DM us ‘findagroup’ and we’ll send you the link to find your local leader ✨

26/10/2023

Over the last four weeks we’ve unveiled some of the amazing hidden benefits that singing offers, from releasing hormones that make us feel happy and calm through to improving memory retention and supporting people with conditions that affect speech.

We’ve only touched the surface of all the wonderful scientific research looking into what goes on behind the scenes in our brains and bodies when we sing.

We’re rounding off our Science of Singing series by giving you six more little golden nuggets of incredible research. These (along with all the other interesting studies we’ve shared) prove that not only is it a super fun thing to do, but also, singing is really good for us in all kinds of wonderful ways.

🧡 1. PELVIC FLOOR STRENGTHENING 🧡
Singing can be used to help women with pelvic floor weakness. A pilot study showed that breath control through singing can enhance pelvic floor strengthening exercises. (Bedekar, 2012)

Further research found incorporating the pelvic floor in voice coaching could also help to improve singing. (Emerich Gordon & Reed, 2018)

And on a side note, if you compare images of the vocal chords and pelvic floor, they look surprisingly similar… Fascinating!

🧡 2. SUPPORTS LUNG HEALTH 🧡
Singing encourages you to breathe slowly and deeply. It promotes good posture, plus it helps to give you a sense of control over your breath.

This is why singing is great for lung health and there are singing groups across the UK specifically for people with lung conditions.

“After about 10 minutes I’m able to switch my oxygen off because I feel as if I’ve got more control over my breathing.” (Singing group participant, British Lung Foundation)

🧡 3. BOOSTS ANTIBODIES 🧡
Singing might give your immune system a boost, according to a study that tested immunoglobulin A levels (antibodies that help to fend off infections) in the saliva of singers.

The researchers found that the levels of antibodies increased when people sang.

Interestingly, there was no rise in antibody response when people were listening to music and not singing along. Both examples did, however, reduce stress hormones. (Kreutz, 2014)

🧡 4. INCREASES PAIN TOLERANCE 🧡
We’ve previously looked at how singing releases endorphins. Well, an added benefit of this hormone is that it can change our perceptions of pain.

A study investigating this found that people taking part in singing, drumming and dancing all experienced a rise in their pain threshold.

The researchers concluded that the active performance of music generates an endorphin high. (Dunbar, 2012)

🧡 5. REDUCES SNORING 🧡
If you’re at your wits’ end with a snoring partner, suggest they give group singing a go...

When scientists compared the snoring habits of singers with non-singers, they discovered some surprising results.

The study found that singers had much lower markers on their snoring scale, concluding that singing practice may have a role in the treatment of snoring. (Pai, 2008)

🧡 6. HELPS WITH GRIEF 🧡
We previously looked at how singing can treat postnatal depression faster than conventional methods. (Perkins, 2018)

Well, a 12-week study showed singing can also offer support to those experiencing the emotional pain of grief.

Participants who sang in a choir had more stable symptoms of depression and levels of wellbeing, as well as improvements in their sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem, in comparison to the control group. (Fancourt, 2019)

🧡🧡🧡
And that’s it for our Science of Singing series, we hope you’ve enjoyed learning about all the scientifically proven hidden benefits of singing! This series has been put together by Singing Mamas leader/journalist Emily Batesmith, who is based in Kent (Singing Mamas Sevenoaks).

🧡 RESOURCES & MORE INFO… 🧡

Bedekar, 2012: Pelvic floor muscles activation during singing: A pilot study by Nilima Bedekar

Emerich Gordon & Reed, 2018: The role of the pelvic floor in respiration: A multidisciplinary literature review by Kate Emerich Gordon & Ona Reed

Kreutz, 2014: Effects of choir singing or listening on secretory immunoglobulin A, cortisol, and emotional state by Gunter Kreutz, Stephan Bongard, Sonja Rohrmann, Volker Hodapp & Dorothee Grebe

Dunbar, 2012: Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: implications for the evolutionary function of music by R.I.M Dunbar, Kostas Kaskatis, Ian MacDonald & Vinnie Barra

Pai, 2008: The effect of singing on snoring and daytime somnolence by Irumee Pai, Stephen Lo, Dennis Wolf & Azgher Kajieker

Perkins, 2018: Effect of singing interventions on symptons of postnatal depression: three-arm randomised controlled trial by Daisy Fancourt & Rosie Perkins

Fancourt, 2019: Group singing in bereavement: effects on mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem and well-being by Daisy Fancourt, Saoirse Finn, Katey Warran & Theresa Wiseman

Articles

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-singing

https://feminapt.com/blog/how-singing-could-help-heal-your-pelvic-floor

10/10/2023

Have you ever got a real feel-good buzz from singing?

Whether that was secret singing alone in the shower, being part of a crowd at a festival, as a member of a choir during a performance or even at a football match chanting along with everyone in the stand – it’s hard to deny the amazing endorphin-rush that singing offers.

So what’s going on in our bodies that makes resonating our vocal chords to a tune feel so different to when we are just speaking?

🧡 HAPPY HORMONES 🧡

Singing releases endorphins (the happy hormone) and oxytocin (the love hormone), which creates a feeling of pleasure. Singing is also proven to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone).

The combination of all of this acts as a natural antidepressant, relieving anxiety.

For example, a randomised control study of 134 women with symptoms of postnatal depression, were split into three groups. They took part in a 10 week course of either singing, creative play with no music or ‘care as usual’ (ie talking therapies etc).

At the end of the study, those women who took part in singing had significantly faster improvement in their symptoms than the other groups.

🧡 THE VAGUS NERVE 🧡

The vagus nerve is activated when you sing. It is a main component of our body’s parasympathetic nervous system, controlling the things your body does without conscious input.

“The parasympathetic system controls our homeostasis; it keeps us the right temperature, our heart and breath going at the right rate. It probably also helps with sleep. What we’re talking about is entering a state of focus – focussing on the singing rather than all the other things going on. And that focussing causes a state of relaxation.” (Dr Becca Hall)

🧡 SUPPORTING BREATH 🧡

Our posture and breathwork when we sing also plays a role in doing good things for our bodies. Singers are encouraged to support their diaphragms with good posture and take deep breaths from low in the abdomen. An open, positive posture and strong, slow breaths encourage relaxation – similar to in a yoga class or meditation.

In fact, if you’re singing in a group and taking breaths at the same time, you could also be synchronising heartbeats.

🧡 BUILDING COMMUNITY 🧡

“When people engage with each other musically they feel more connected. It has a social bonding function.” (Dr Ian Cross)

The chance to build community and have a feeling of belonging is a major boon for group singing. It encourages trust and bonding as you work together to achieve something that feels magical. You feel each other’s energy ricocheted around the room, like infectious laughter. You’re also listening to each other to sing harmoniously – everyone’s voice is important.

Many choirs have a social side attached to them. You might have made lifelong friendships or even romantic relationships through being part of a choir (that was certainly the case for my parents!).

The point is that singing together builds connections.

Interestingly, studies have found that when people get on, their speech actually becomes more musically synchronised…

“In a study, when participants got on well, their speech patterns were more rhythmical and in tune with each other. When they didn’t get on, they were more out of tune and did not form a musical interval. Harmony goes far beyond musical form.” (Matthew Syde)

🧡 RESOURCES & MORE INFO... 🧡

Dr Becca Hall is a GP
Ian Cross is Emeritus Professor of Music and Science at the University of Cambridge
Matthew Syde is presenter of BBC podcast Sideways

PODCASTS & ARTICLES
Sideways BBC podcast hosted by Matthew Syde; Ep. 24: Sweet Harmony
Scotland Singing for Health Network Podcast; Season 2, Ep 2: Singing for postnatal wellbeing
The Somerset Emotional Wellbeing Podcast; Singing for Health
londonsinginginstitute.co.uk/what-happens-when-we-sing

28/09/2023

When a song comes on the radio that you haven’t heard in years, it’s amazing how all the lyrics flow back to you seamlessly without even thinking about it.

We can store so many songs in our brains (and we recommend Heardle to put your memory to the test!).

But why can I remember all these songs from way back when, but not where I put my keys five mins ago?

Here’s the science bit...

🧡 EMOTIONAL RESPONSE 🧡

“Music is inherently bound up with personal identity; music can trigger the reminiscence bump in autobiographical memory.” (Dr Kelly Jakubowski)

Does listening to a specific song take you back to a certain moment? Perhaps it was on an album your parents always played in the car or your favourite CD in your Walkman when you travelled to school?

“Emotional stimuli are remembered better than non-emotional ones.” (Fiona Kumfor)

If a song was played over and over again, then repetition has a role in why you remember it so well. But perhaps more interestingly, so does your emotional response. Songs that were played or sung at a time of happiness or even a period of change in your life will take you back to that feeling.

“Orientating yourself towards the emotional message actually helps you remember the actual music better.” (Dr Andrea Halpern)

🧡 A LEARNING TOOL 🧡

Music can be used as a mnemonic device, ie to aid memory. That’s why teaching children the alphabet is a lot easier when done to a song.

“Singing the lyrics to a very well-known song is a form of procedural memory – ie a highly automatised process, like riding a bike: it’s something we are able to do without thinking much about it.” (Dr Kelly Jakubowski)

“The features of music serve as a predictable ‘scaffold’ for memory. Rhythm and beats give us clues to the next word in a sequence, ie signalling that a three-syllable word fits next. Songs also make use of literary devices like rhyme and alliteration, which further facilitate memory.” (Dr Kelly Jakubowski)

So singing about where I’m putting my keys down when I’m doing it is a genuinely helpful idea...

🧡 MUSIC & DEMENTIA 🧡

Singing has been found to improve memory retention, so it can be used to help support people living with various neurodegenerative disorders.

“When we sing we get more blood flow to precortical areas, which are areas usually preserved in dementia, concerned with autobiography and emotions. Sometimes a song does something really strong and visceral, and that feeling is really important - it awakens people with dementia and makes them feel more involved.” (Dr Simon Opher)

Singing is proven to be so valuable for people with memory-related conditions that music therapy is available for care homes, there are charities that support dementia with music, such as Mindsong, and there are specific singing groups, such as the Alzheimer’s Society’s Singing for the Brain.

“My favourite memory of singing is that of a man in the later stages of dementia who was played Edelweiss. He started singing the tune but to the words ‘I belong, I belong’.” (Maggie Grady)

🧡 RESOURCES & MORE INFO… 🧡

Dr Kelly Jakubowski is Associate Professor in Music Psychology, Durham University

Dr Andrea Halpern is Professor of Psychology at Bucknell University

Fiona Kumfor is Research Officer, Neuroscience Research Australia

Dr Simon Opher is a Family Doctor & Clinical Lead for Social Prescribing

Maggie Grady is Director of Music Therapy at Mindsong

Can singing improve our health? BBC CrowdScience podcast, 2019

theconversation.com/the-science-of-why-you-can-remember-song-lyrics-from-years-ago-204167

londonsinginginstitute.co.uk/what-happens-when-we-sing

time.com/6167197/psychology-behind-remembering-music

03/09/2023

Ever wondered how the Singing Mamas network is growing so fast? We’ll let you into a secret… one of the ways is that something wonderful keeps happening. Women attend our groups and whilst many love simply being a part of it, some hear a voice that says; “maybe that could be me? Maybe I could bring this to my community or that area..?”
They feel deeply the impact it’s had on their own well-being and they want to be a part of sharing that with others. They may never have done anything like this before, they may have no previous musical experience but they feel the pull towards this work. When we asked our leader network, of the 50 that responded; 32% had been going along to a group as a participant before they made the decision to train and set up their own groups. Was that what they were expecting to happen when they first went along for a sing? Possibly not! Funny how life works that way sometimes and how we don’t know what ripple effect we could kickstart ✨

Pictured left to right: Josie, Gilly and Emily. Emily started her groups in Central Lancashire after finding Singing Mamas through Josie’s group in Todmorden. Josie was inspired to train after attending Gilly’s group in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

To find your local group or find out more about taking the training and joining this movement, visit singingmamas.org.

Address

Todfellows Hall
Hebden Bridge
OL145PU

Opening Hours

10am - 11:30am

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Singing Mamas Todmorden posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Singing Mamas Todmorden:

Shortcuts

Share

Category