A Chester couple who have spent a decade introducing thousands of people to the restorative power of sound are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their monthly sound healing ceremonies in the city.

Angela and Wayne Hassall will mark the milestone with a special tenth-anniversary ceremony at St Mary’s Creative Space, Chester, on Tuesday 15th September 2026 – ten years after they began their regular gatherings in the city in 2016.

Angela, author of Reboot Your Soul, a Reiki Master, astrologer, therapist, sound healer and ceremonial practitioner, says the anniversary marks a decade of sharing a practice that has become an important part of her own life and the lives of the many people who have joined the couple along the way.

The ceremonies are one part of a wider practice. Journeys to Peru, India and Egypt have shaped an extraordinary collection of instruments – with majestic ceremonial gongs, Peruvian rattles and even temple drums handmade in Denbigh – now at the heart of their work.

As well as the monthly Chester ceremony, Angela hosts weekly online sound ceremonies on Substack, has written the book Reboot Your Soul and created a companion set of Reboot Your Soul oracle cards. She also offers private, one-to-one sound therapy sessions and retreats from her home in Littleton.

The sound ceremony sessions are open to anyone experiencing stress, grief, burnout or a difficult life transition, as well as those simply looking for time to slow down, relax and reset in a welcoming and unhurried space.

On arrival, guests are welcomed by Angela and Wayne before Angela shares an astrological update and leads the group through a guided chanting meditation. Guests are then invited to settle comfortably onto yoga mats, with blankets and pillows provided, before the sound ceremony begins. Angela and Wayne create an immersive journey using their collection of gongs, drums, rattles, bells, chimes and other instruments, alongside tuning forks, which are used as part of the wider sound healing experience.

People are very welcome to attend the Chester ceremonies alone, and subsidised concession tickets are available to help make the sessions accessible to anyone who may need them.

Angela said:

“I feel an immense sense of gratitude and pride that Wayne and I have now been holding our monthly sound ceremonies in Chester for ten years. This is my hometown; it is where we were raised and our families too so there is something particularly special about knowing that for an entire decade people have been coming together here each month to stop, breathe, listen and experience sound.

“We began at our then home in Kelsall, then moved to Bishops Lloyds Palace in the city. Our number continued to grow so we moved our ceremonies to Chester Cathedral, attracting as many as 144 people in one session.

During this time we travelled, studied and learned from many wonderful people. Yet the intention has always stayed simple – we create a space where people can step away from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with themselves. You simply arrive, lie down, listen and allow yourself to receive.”

Wayne, who co-facilitates every ceremony, is keen to dispel the idea that people need to subscribe to a particular belief system to take part or benefit from sound healing.

Wayne said:

“I’ll say it as a bloke – I completely understand why somebody might hear the words ‘sound healing ceremony’ and think it sounds a bit kooky. That’s one of the barriers I’d like to break down. You don’t need to know anything about spirituality, Reiki or astrology, and you don’t have to believe something magical is going to happen.

“Sound is vibration and there is growing scientific interest in how it affects relaxation and the nervous system. Then there’s the other side of it – the mind and the soul. If someone arrives carrying the weight of the world and leaves a couple of hours later feeling calmer and lighter, that is incredibly powerful.”

Research into sound-based meditation has reported reductions in tension and anxiety following sound meditation; it has been used in hospital theatres for decades across the world – a practice Angela describes simply as where science meets the soul.

Angela added:

“Every group creates something different, and even after ten years Wayne and I never quite know what a ceremony is going to become until we are actually in the room together. The greatest privilege has simply been being part of people’s journeys for a little while. Ten years feels like the right moment to celebrate all of those people too.”