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They were swaying, clapping and smiling broadly. A choir for people living with dementia and their carers on Wednesday returned to full song for the first time in nearly eight months, shut down in March by the coronavirus. It was a beautiful moment of normality. And meaningful for the members of the Alchemy Chorus. “We all feel very emotional,” Bob White, 83, a retired principal, said. For their return performance, members of the Alchemy Chorus chose to perform outside, socially distanced, under the shade of a tree opposite the Hughes Community Centre, their usual meeting place. They can now only meet to sing in the building when there are 40 or fewer choir members. It’s a far cry from the choir’s peak when 100 voices could join together in song and community. The choir was started in 2016 by Brian Triglone, also the conductor. He was back on Wednesday with favourites from It’s a Long Way to Tipperary to The Rose to Battle Hymn of the Republic, accompanied by Chris Hopman on bass and Brendan O’Loghlin on keyboard. “It feels terrific. It’s hard to verbalise what we’ve missed,” Mr Triglone said, of being back. “But it’s camaraderie and people with dementia need that. And they need socialisation. So however it sounds today, doesn’t matter. Because people have got together and they feel like they’re doing something useful again.” The choir had some special visitors yesterday, children from the Hughes preschool. The children had got to know choir members Barrie and Claire Virtue when they helped tend Floriade Reimagined blooms planted at nearby St Andrew’s retirement village. Mr Virtue, 88, the principal private secretary to then deputy prime minister Doug Anthony, invited the children to visit the choir yesterday and they joined in renditions of The Wheels on the Bus and You Are My Sunshine. “It’s been wonderful,” Mr Virtue said. Also there on Wednesday were friends Alice Dobbin, 81, and Freda Ford, who turned 101 last week on Melbourne Cup Day. The pair were regulars at the choirs, taken each week by Mrs Ford’s daughter Denise Thoroughgood. “I’m the PA,” she said, with a laugh. Mrs Ford loved singing the old songs. “It stimulates the mind,” she said. Peter Dark, of Queanbeyan, attended the choir with his friend Barbara Denham, of Bonython. READ MORE: “Barbara was involved in a lot of musical theatre so it was an opportunity for her to sing again,” Mr Dark said. “When we were coming regularly, she said it was the highlight of her week.” If anyone would like to join the choir, please email [email protected]
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They were swaying, clapping and smiling broadly. A choir for people living with dementia and their carers on Wednesday returned to full song for the first time in nearly eight months, shut down in March by the coronavirus.
It was a beautiful moment of normality. And meaningful for the members of the Alchemy Chorus.
“We all feel very emotional,” Bob White, 83, a retired principal, said.
The Alchemy Chorus’s publicity officer Trish Cran. Picture: Elesa Kurtz.
For their return performance, members of the Alchemy Chorus chose to perform outside, socially distanced, under the shade of a tree opposite the Hughes Community Centre, their usual meeting place. They can now only meet to sing in the building when there are 40 or fewer choir members. It’s a far cry from the choir’s peak when 100 voices could join together in song and community.
Friends Alice Dobbin, 83, and Freda Ford, 101, are enthusiastic members of the choir. Picture: Megan Doherty
He was back on Wednesday with favourites from It’s a Long Way to Tipperary to The Rose to Battle Hymn of the Republic, accompanied by Chris Hopman on bass and Brendan O’Loghlin on keyboard.
“It feels terrific. It’s hard to verbalise what we’ve missed,” Mr Triglone said, of being back.
“But it’s camaraderie and people with dementia need that. And they need socialisation. So however it sounds today, doesn’t matter. Because people have got together and they feel like they’re doing something useful again.”
The choir had some special visitors yesterday, children from the Hughes preschool.
The children had got to know choir members Barrie and Claire Virtue when they helped tend Floriade Reimagined blooms planted at nearby St Andrew’s retirement village.
Mr Virtue, 88, the principal private secretary to then deputy prime minister Doug Anthony, invited the children to visit the choir yesterday and they joined in renditions of The Wheels on the Bus and You Are My Sunshine.
Alchemy Chorus members performing in Hughes on Wednesday. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
“It’s been wonderful,” Mr Virtue said.
Also there on Wednesday were friends Alice Dobbin, 81, and Freda Ford, who turned 101 last week on Melbourne Cup Day.
The pair were regulars at the choirs, taken each week by Mrs Ford’s daughter Denise Thoroughgood.
“I’m the PA,” she said, with a laugh.
Mrs Ford loved singing the old songs.
“It stimulates the mind,” she said.
Peter Dark, of Queanbeyan, attended the choir with his friend Barbara Denham, of Bonython.
“Barbara was involved in a lot of musical theatre so it was an opportunity for her to sing again,” Mr Dark said.
“When we were coming regularly, she said it was the highlight of her week.”
