Elite Island Resorts has launched an exclusive 5-day expert led “Caribbean Choir” singing workshop series for guests with celebrity and professional vocal coach Mike King. Mike is one of the UK's leading contemporary vocal coaches, musical directors, choir leaders and arrangers. He has been involved in the music industry for 20 years, including signing a record contract at the age of 17. He has worked as a vocal coach on The Voice UK, helped smash a Guinness World Record by conducting 5,000 singers at Wembley Arena and directs choirs worldwide. He has worked with various international artists including multi-GRAMMY® winning singer Angelique Kidjo, GRAMMY® winning producer Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Rihanna), Mark Ronson, Boy George, Lily Allen and Florence Welch.

The free of charge workshops will consist of five morning vocal training sessions with Mike and a performance on guests' penultimate night before returning home. For each Caribbean Choir workshop, 25 places will be available and included free of charge in the price of the stay.

“Caribbean Choir” is a new addition to the all-inclusive wellbeing menu that already includes “firsts” in the Caribbean: floatfit®CARIBBEAN aquabase®, Colour Me Calm Club, Silent Cinema and Sketch Workshops. All activities on the free of charge wellbeing menu are exclusive to Elite Island Resorts. The first in the series of Caribbean Choir workshop will take place at The Club Barbados Resort & Spa May 1-11 2018 with further dates being finalised both for 2018 and 2019 on Barbados and at other Elite Island Resorts locations on Antigua and St. Lucia.

Paula Whitehead, MD Europe, Elite Island Resorts said “We are delighted to add yet another free of charge option to our growing wellbeing menu. We believe in offering non-boot camp mind and body choices for our guests, particularly activities where the benefits continue after they return home and it's easy for them to continue their new skills or habits learned – from simple mindfulness to core floating HIIT workouts. Singing is good for you, inclusive in its experience and a skill that can be continued back at home. Its physical and mental health benefits are increasingly recognised and we're delighted to be offering a chance to try it with an expert in a Caribbean setting”

Professor Graham Welch, Chair of Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, has studied the developmental and medical aspects of singing for 30 years. He found that the health benefits of singing are both physical and psychological. “Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting. Singing has psychological benefits because of its normally positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being. Psychological benefits are also evident when people sing together as well as alone because of the increased sense of community, belonging and shared endeavor."

Other documented benefits of singing include:

- Regular use of the vocal cords can prolong life, as it's a way of exercising the lungs and heart.
- Whilst singing, the body produces 'feel good' endorphins that enhance overall mental health and wellbeing
- Singing even helps you live longer according to the findings of a joint Harvard and Yale study which showed that choral singing increased the life expectancy of the population of New Haven, Connecticut. The report concluded that this was because singing promoted both a healthy heart and an enhanced mental state. Another study at the University of California has reported higher levels of immune system proteins in the saliva of choristers

The Elite Island Resorts Caribbean Choir workshop dates for are included in the price of a stay and one of the 25 places can be reserved at the time of holiday booking with most UK tour operators.

Virgin Holidays offers 7 nights at The Club Barbados Resort & Spa from £1535pp: Seven nights in Barbados with Virgin Holidays, including scheduled Virgin Atlantic flights from London Gatwick direct to Barbados, all inclusive accommodation at the The Club Barbados Resort and Spa, with transfers included. Price is per person based on 2 adults travelling and sharing a Garden View room and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Price is based on a departure on 7th May 2018. Start your holiday before you've even taken off in the v-room at Gatwick Airport… adults £20.00, kids from £12. Virgin Holidays is a member of ABTA and is ATOL protected. To book: www.virginholidays.co.uk, 0344 557 3859 or visit one of our 110 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser stores nationwide.

· More information on vocal coach Mike King here: http://www.mycoolking.com/about-mike-king  

· More information on The Club Barbados here: http://www.theclubbarbados.com/uk/index.html 

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