Bolder Voices' Stories at the River

Here's a film made with MHA Care Homes about Bolder Voices Choir's most recent project at Riverview Home, ‘Stories at the River’. I was invited by Clair Chapwell, choir leader, to attend their visits to the home, listen to conversations they had with residents, and write new songs for them to sing each week.

Members of the choir of elders, all aged 60-90+ themselves, chatted to folks about a different theme every week: family, love, work, holidays, home.

Clair and I would talk with residents as well, but mostly listen in on conversations around us - Nellie talked about her first love, Joan talked about going walking on Sundays, Robert talked about chores that his father made him do, Annie talked about dancing at the Galtymore. We'd then go away for a week, write a song, teach it to the choir the following week, and they would add them into their set, singing residents' stories back to them.  We had a wonderful final concert that was clearly enjoyed by the home, as you can see in this lovely film by Bhavesh Hindocha… A terrific project...