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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 Spa Business magazine
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
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [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 Spa Business magazine
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
Private hotel owner and developer HVL Hotels will open a new luxury resort and tourism
destination called Laval Hunter Valley in the second half of 2027 in Pokolbin, Australia.
The annual wellness festival dedicated to wellbeing, culture, longevity and human connection,
called Alma, will be hosted by Rocco Forte hotel, Verdura Resort in Sicily, Italy.
Capella Hotel Group has appointed Feisal Jaffer as chief development officer as the company
ramps up its global expansion of both its Capella and Patina brands.
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
