A special CD recording songs sung by people living with dementia is launched

The CD features recordings by a group of people living with dementia, along with their friends and carers, including a song they composed together about the effects of dementia.

The CD was the result of funding received from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Arts and Older People’s Programme to run a number of sessions with professional musicians across Northern Ireland. The impact of these groups resulted in two activity groups joining to form the Memories are made of Music singers.  The participants remarked on how much people enjoyed the group even if they hadn’t sung before.

Megan Calvert from Portadown says;

'This has been a wonderful experience. We have all laughed, cried and we’ve danced together. It has done wonders for my husband Jim and had a very calming effect on him, which has then rubbed off on me.'

It also allowed carers and people with dementia to reminisce and do something together as a couple.

Bernadine McCrory, director of Alzheimer’s Society in Northern Ireland, described the project as a wonderful opportunity for people with dementia, carers and volunteers to demonstrate how the arts can enhance their lives as well as a means of improving their social lives. She says;

'The CD has been part-funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and this collaborative working has crossed the boundaries. The choir is evidence of how people with dementia can continue to enjoy being part of a community.'

The CD features songs from Ireland and Scotland and some Christian hymns, as well as an original composition written by the group called The Best is Still to Come. The CD is available for a suggested donation of £8 from Alzheimer's Society offices throughout Northern Ireland, and their head office in Belfast by contacting 028 9038 7784 or emailing Gillian Clarke.

Pictured: Choir members

Please visit the website to access more information about your local services in the North and East or the South and West region in Northern Ireland. If you are interested in fundraising events or opportunities in your local area, go to the fundraising page for more details.