INTRODUCTION

It is quite incredible to believe that we have reached the milestone of it being 12 months since DSO last met in person for our weekly singing sessions. Covid-19 and the resultant Lockdowns have had such a devastating effect upon so many lives that we feel blessed to have been able to preserve DSO’s activities against all of the odds. We have continued to publicise the fact that we not only sing each week but attempt to provide moral support to all of our friends in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Our Board of Trustees ‘Zoom’ committee meetings discuss not only how we sustain our current work but also optimistically plan for the future. We have been buoyed both by feedback received from carers and those living with dementia but also, because we are promoting DSO as being “open to anyone, anywhere” and new friends have joined us weekly as much for companionship as for their singing abilities.

NEWS FROM GARETH’S ‘BUNKER’

As Gareth himself says “I think that it is fantastic to see that the numbers have started to pick up again each week with new people first of all coming to check us out and then making it a part of their weekly routine. The joy that is in everyone’s face is just beautiful. Literally once the session has started the excitement on everyone’s face is just so special.”

The infamous studio bunker has been a haven each Thursday morning and one cannot be anything but impressed by the new chic décor which provides the backdrop! We thought that readers might be interested in understanding a little more about Gareth’s interior design choices or at least you might like to hear about what has been happening in Gareth’s ‘remote’ world so we have booked him in for a ‘reveal all’ interview in the next edition of the DSO Newsletter!

NEW PLAYLIST ADDITIONS

Rest assured we will never ‘ditch’ our old favourites 1,2,3,4,5 warm-up, stretching & shaking, Que Sera Sera, and the incomparable My Boy Lollipop. However, we know from feedback received as well as the obvious smiling faces and shaking hips that Country Roads, Return to Sender, Come on Over to My Place continue to be firm favourites. Yet Gareth continues to experiment with new songs being interspersed amongst the tried and tested repertoire. Our latest additions are Sloop John B, Under the
Boardwalk and Here Comes the Sun, lyrics for which can be found here for participants to add to your folder. If you do not have the facility to print out, let us know!

Lastest Feedback

”he was humming away to the music during the actual singing, and was belting out some of the featured
songs whilst having a shower later that day!”

“Just to let you know how much I enjoyed the Choir, I will definitely attend every week, it’s lovely having
something to look forward to in these strange times.”
“It’s been really good to join the Thursday sessions. The cat has become used to me singing”

Support & Thanks

As we all appreciate both the Care and the Charity sectors have been badly affected by the pandemic so the Trustees wish to thank you again for the continuing support, financial or personal, which has enabled DSO’s charitable work to continue to thrive even during the latest lockdown period. For any future donations, our JustGiving page is live at https://www.justgiving.com/dementiasingsout and includes the facility to add Gift Aid to your donation.

NEXT STEPS

We continue to monitor the on-going government dialogue about coming out of lockdown and the restrictions which are specific to gatherings such as ours. Live Theatre and Music are viewed as posing a specific risk with the spread of aerosols and research is continuing into singing. In the meantime we continue to promote the benefits of singing for those living with Dementia and indeed for those of us who simply feel personally isolated during lockdown and who would benefit from the support and fun of DSO ‘zoom’ interaction. Everyone is welcome!

We will continue to provide updates on our Facebook page and via our new professionally-revamped website https://dementiasingsout.org/live/

Cathie, Judith, Kathryn, Ian, Lucy, Ruth, Garry & Gareth.