Two generations are being brought together by music and song as part of an exciting new programme involving children from Truro Nursery School and residents from Cornwall Care’s Mountford care home.
Called Chorus Connections, the project involves a group of four-year-old children from Truro Nursery School visiting Mountford to sing and play instruments with the residents every week.
The musical sessions were organised in partnership with Little Bird Music, an independent musical education provider, and Arts Well, a community interest company that champions the role of the arts and creativity in promoting health and wellbeing.
Alison Rowe, manager at Mountford, said: “Chorus Connections is brilliant. Our clients love it, our staff love it and our visitors love it. Everyone looks forward to the sessions every week.
“It brings such benefits to our residents. Some of our clients, who don’t normally participate in activities, get much more animated when the children come to visit and really get involved with the singing and playing the instruments.”
The care home is a 36-bed nursing home for people with long-term conditions such as dementia and those requiring palliative care.
Chorus Connections is a pilot programme and is hoped that similar sessions can be arrange at other venues.
Alice Browning form Little Bird Music said: “I’m delighted to be leading such an exciting project in Cornwall. Chorus Connections aims to give all the opportunity to contribute, make meaningful connections and benefit from the joy of learning and making music together.
“Seeing the relationship between old and young is just wonderful. After just the first session, one residents at Mountford House told me ‘this is better than I could have ever imagine’. We’re all learning all the time, singing new songs – revisiting old songs, sometimes using hand percussion, exploring and sharing as we go – it’s a very exciting place to be.
“Our overall aim is very much to introduce and support Chorus Connections in more communities in Cornwall.”