Dementia choir - Forget Me Not Chorus 'fantastic therapy for people with dementia and a happy relief for carers'

It is not only those living with dementia who can benefit from a rehearsal with Cardiff based choir Forget-me-Not Chorus, with carers encouraged to join in on the singing workshops.

Formed in 2012 and run by founders Kate Woolveridge and Sarah Teagle, the Forget-me-Not Chorus is a unique type of music therapy where people with dementia and their carers can take part in a social activity they can both enjoy whilst experiencing something new together.

Each project leads to a final end of project performance that allows participants to perform and share their achievements with wider family and friends.

As well as singing during the weekly two hour rehearsals, creative activities such as dance, drumming and writing are introduced to allow people to escape from the impact dementia can have on their lives and create a feeling of normality despite living with dementia.

Jackie Askey, a member of the choir, alongside her husband George who has dementia said: “The Forget-me-Not Chorus is fantastic therapy for people with dementia and a happy relief for carers. The choir has made something possible that we didn’t think we would be able to do together again and that is to perform and learn new skills, it is wonderful to be able to enjoy a hobby together again which would otherwise be very difficult with George’s memory problems.

“The choir has given us something to look forward to, inspires us to want to do our best and cheers us up when everything has been difficult in our daily lives. Life would not be the same without it- for us Monday evening is our happiness fix.”

Patron of the choir, Carlo Rizzi who has witnessed performances of the choir said: “The fifteen minutes when the Forget Me Not Choir sang conducted by Kate has been and will be forever one of the most powerful experiences that I will treasure in my life.

“In front of me, men and women affected by this illness, together with their carers sung and during that time I saw their faces and expression change and…. well… they became alert and joyous. In front of them, Kate was not only conducting them, but was nurturing them through the music and infusing in them an energy coming from her approach to music (and I suspect to life) that I can only describe as evangelical.”

To find out more about the choir visit: http://www.forgetmenotchorus.com/