A group of care home residents got the chance to conduct musicians from a world class orchestra at their Christmas concert.
The “magical” concert at Pendine Park, in Wrexham, was the culmination of a series of creative music workshops with the renowned Hallé.
The event was held in the chapel at the Hillbury care home and was attended by more than 100 residents, friends and family.
They were joined by the Mayor and the Mayoress of Wrexham, Cllr David Bithell and his wife, Virginia.
Hillbury resident John Pierce, 93, had a wonderful time.
He said: “I really like the orchestra. The musicians are very talented and we’ve had them down here a few times.
“The concert brings back fond memories from past Christmases. There’s a lot going on here at Christmas time.”
The concert was a spellbinding experience, according to Pendine Park’s Artist-in-Residence, Sarah Edwards, who said: “It was a magical occasion, the Hallé are amazing.
“They’re world class musicians and they treat our residents with dignity and respect. They’ve got such brilliant manners and we just couldn’t ask for better.”
“It makes a huge difference to residents to be able to enjoy such fantastic music.
“You can see a visible difference in them. Some of them respond when they haven’t previously responded to anything because it helps evoke memories.
“It helps to relax them and it’s invaluable to our enrichment programme at Pendine where we would like to make a difference to people’s lives and this is a way of doing that.
“We’re able to see and note changes in people and you can’t quantify that really. Changes like lifts in moods, people get more responsive, they’re generally happier, they engage more, and that’s invaluable to a person’s quality of life.”
“What we are keen to work to is provide the best quality of life for our residents, and the Hallé project exactly fits in with that ethos.”
“We’re very fortunate to be joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Wrexham this morning. We’re really appreciative because we know they’ve got busy schedules, especially at Christmas and we’re delighted to show them the wonderful work of the Hallé.”
The three Hallé maestros performing for the residents were violinist, Caroline Abbott, oboe/keyboard player Hugh McKenna, a former army man who is also an Ironman Triathlon athlete who has competed in New Zealand, and cellist, David Petri.
David, a regular visitor to Pendine Park, said: “Pendine Park has helped buy some instruments for the residents to use in the sessions. Music is a very powerful memory tool. Someone who cannot talk can still express themselves through music, even if it is just moving their hands or fingers.
“This is one of the best things we do, it’s very rewarding.”
Cllr Bithell was thoroughly impressed and moved by what he saw and heard.
He added: “I think it’s great the residents are getting the chance to interact with the Hallé, who are world class.”
According to Steve Pickett, Education Director of the Hallé, events such as these enrich the lives of the members of the orchestra as well as those of the residents.
He said: “A professional player needs to have some other outlet or some way of enriching their musical lives so they remain fresh on the concert platform.
“The sort of enrichment that the players get from working in this environment and seeing the way that music as a whole can effect the people they come into contact with, particularly here at Pendine Park care homes, is just amazing – at times it can get quite emotional! What’s so good about this programme is that the musicians have really got to know the residents.”
“It’s very much about bringing the concert hall into the community.
“We value the role of the professional musician in the community, and in a sense our whole programme really works mostly with those who generally don’t come to the concert hall.”
“The musicians are bringing their professionalism and their creativity to help enrich the lives of those they come into contact with at Pendine. We’ve had this relationship for about five years and long may it continue.”
