Bay of Plenty retirement village residents who are preparing for a concert next month have found their mood improving alongside their singing.
Six choirs will put on two concerts at Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village on August 12-13; the culmination of a project to get retirees more socially active.
'We realised after Covid-19 that a lot of people were quite depressed, so we needed a way to keep the aging population occupied,” says event organiser Helena van der Merwe. 'When you sing, you can't think about anything negative.”
Omokoroa Country Estate formed a choir three years ago and found it has helped people to settle into the retirement living environment and even to overcome depression and deal with grief.
'The value of the interaction between the elderly during rehearsals and the positive health effects that it has on the body is widely acknowledged and published,” says Helena. 'We've seen amazing improvements in people who had sunk into acute depression after experiencing loss in their lives. They have a new focus.”
At the Music Festival, 120 singers will perform a range of songs from classics like ‘Sweet Caroline' to nostalgic tunes like ‘In The Mood'. A ukulele band and 99-year-old Coreen Gray, QSM, who sings and plays piano are also in the line-up.
'I can tell you the average age is 83,” says Helena. 'I'm in awe of our participants. They have age-related mobility issues; some are in wheelchairs, some are sight impaired and almost all wear hearing aids. 'There are so many physical challenges and yet they sing like angels.”
The individual choirs practice weekly, and this will be the first time they've come together for a concert that will culminate with a mass choir performance. 'We're hoping it will become an annual performance,” says Helena. 'Everyone is working so hard. It will be a really beautiful event.”
All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Waipuna Hospice and StarJam.
The Bay of Plenty Villages 2023 Music Festival is at Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village, 60 Maranui St, Mount Maunganui, from 2pm on Saturday August 12, and Sunday, August 13. Tickets cost $10 each by emailing samantham@metlifecare.co.nz