Singing has the power to ease pain, Welsh opera project finds

Wales is famed as the land of song, the music of the valleys and mountains providing a source of pride, joy and a sense of belonging.

- Steven Morris

But a pioneering project led by Welsh National Opera (WNO) has found that music can also help people suffering with persistent pain.

Participants in a pain management programme run by WNO with NHS Wales reported that singing and taking part in breathing exercises in sessions run by vocal experts eased their symptoms.

An independent report on the Wellness with WNO persistent pain pilot found that two in three people who took part in a study of the programme's effectiveness reported decreases in pain, while a similar number said their mental health had improved.

Participants had no illusions that they had been cured of chronic illness but said the programme had helped them manage their pain by giving them techniques to deal with it.

June Evans, who has a number of serious illnesses including a heart condition, said the programme, funded by the Welsh government, had changed her life.