ABOUT OUR CHOIR
There are over 850,000 people in the UK who live with a form of dementia, and despite the progress being made in the search for a cure, it is unlikely to come quick enough to help them. For these people, what’s essential is to find the best way of living with their dementia.
‘Our Dementia Choir’ began as part of a documentary created for BBC1 in 2018. The two-part series saw acclaimed actress Vicky McClure take us on a deeply personal journey where she sets out to discover the true extent of music’s power in combatting dementia. Vicky knows only too well the cruelness of dementia having helped care for her grandma who died in 2015. Vicky also saw the amazing effect the music had in calming her down as well as giving glimpses of the old Nana.
Vicky formed a choir of people all living with dementia in her hometown of Nottingham to see whether music can make a measurable difference in their lives in 2018… The result: Our Dementia Choir.
Joining forces with some of the country’s leading experts, the choir took part in ground-breaking scientific studies to measure their emotional and physical responses to singing over three months of regular sessions….proving that people living with dementia can still achieve something truly remarkable.
The choir has had such an immeasurably positive effect that its members have continued to meet since the first show aired.
Under the charity management of Karen Bonser (Choir member Mick Bonser’s wife), the charity team of supporters and volunteers, together with the exceptional musical leadership of Mark De-Lisser and Daniela Smith, the choir has continued to meet and sing and showcase exceptional performances in a variety of ways! Their biggest audience to date was singing at Splendour Festival to 24,000 people in the Summer of 2022 with the amazing Tom Grennan!
Their latest Christmas performances at Theatre Royal and John Fretwell Centre in Nottinghamshire were complete sell-outs in a matter of days. They have recently appeared on ITV Loose Women, This Morning, Good Morning Britain and the BBC1 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2022! A unique news programme was also aired over Christmas on NBC news across America showing the fabulous benefits of music for those living with dementia and the work the choir does to support members and their families!
Their recent series – the third one for the choir – ‘Our Dementia Choir Sings Again’ was aired on BBC1 in October 2022 and has recently been seen by Australian viewers on their ABC channel across the country! We are definitely going global!
When you watch the choir – you will be exposed to a range of emotions – joy, sadness, laughter, excitement, amazement - and more often than not you will have no choice but to get up and sing along!
