What's Your Story?
OUR DEMENTIA CHOIR DEBUT SINGLE
We are beyond thrilled to be releasing our first single ‘What’s Your Story?’
This beautiful song, which was written especially for us by Karen Smalley and her band The Idolins, has helped the choir make history, becoming the first-ever dementia choir to record at the world-famous Abbey Road studios. The track features vocals from all 16 of the choir members, is conducted by Mark De-Lisser and produced by Rik Simpson (Coldplay).
We first performed it in public at Universal Music UK’s headquarters in London in April 2022 for the launch of the Power of Music report, co-written by Music for Dementia and UK Music. From the response we received, we just knew we had to make history by releasing it as a single.
We are so grateful to everyone who has helped make this dream come true for the Choir – Karen and The Idolins, musicians, Rik Simpson, our fabulous musical director Mark De-Lisser, Abbey Road Studios, Decca Records, Music for Dementia, and last but not least our choir members and their carers. All proceeds from single will be donated to Our Dementia Choir.
We hope ‘What’s Your Story?’ inspires everyone living with dementia and all who care for them to know that music is there for them, and that music is a powerful tool they can use to support health and wellbeing.
Please stream / download this song – tell friends and family about it! Let’s make some noise!!
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Our Dementia Choir Sings Again with Vicky McClure- Watch Part 1 on Monday 10th Oct at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Four years ago, Vicky McClure formed a choir of people living with dementia, scientifically proving the power of music and song to change the lives of those living with the condition.
In the new series, Vicky and her dementia choir are back. And this time they want change. With the growing care crisis, and a lack of action from those in charge, Vicky is angry at the current system and wants to do something about it. And the place to start – making music therapy available to everyone with dementia.
Our Dementia Choir Sings Again with Vicky McClure sees the choir and Vicky take matters into their own hands. Some of the members may have changed due to this cruel condition taking its toll, but old faces line up alongside new ones as they use their considerable voices to show those in power that music is vital for people living with dementia.
But they need action now, and Vicky is using music to grab the attention of everyone she can. From being the first group of people with dementia to record and release a single at Abbey Road, to performing on-stage at a music festival beside an A-list artist, nothing and no-one will stand in the way of Vicky and the choir in getting their voices heard.
“I couldn’t be prouder of every single person who makes Our Dementia Choir what it is. Being able to record a song that gives voice to people living with dementia at the most famous recording studio in the world is an extraordinary achievement, and it’s made even more incredible when you think that the recording was made with people living with dementia.
For me, this is the power of music in action and shows just what music can do for people with dementia and their carers when people are given access to it. People are more than their diagnosis.
We hope ‘What’s your story’ inspires those living with dementia and those who care for them to know that music is there for them, and that music is a powerful tool they can use to support health and wellbeing.
Please stream / download this song, tell friends and family about it! Let’s make some noise!!!”
Vicky McClure, Chair of Our Dementia Choir
Music for Dementia, founded and funded by The Utley Foundation, campaigns for people with dementia to have music as an integral part of their care whatever their circumstances. Working with over 200 cross sector organisations and groups, we are calling on the music industry, philanthropists, and the health and social care sectors to help make this possible.
“Music can have a transformative effect on people living with dementia and few things show the power of music in action better than Our Dementia Choir.
It’s a fantastic achievement for the choir to have recorded a song at Abbey Road. It allows choir members to be seen beyond their diagnosis and as talented performers in their own right.
Vicky and her remarkable choir have done a brilliant job of bringing the often-ignored subject of dementia and its lack of care provision into our living rooms at home. This is why, in our Power of Music report, we called for want to see greater investment in grassroots services in people’s communities so everyone can have access to and experience the powerful health and wellbeing benefits of music. With this single release we hope the choir also managed to raise much needed money to help secure the choir’s future.”
Grace Meadows
(Campaign Director, Music for Dementia)
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