A LIVE musical performance struck a chord with residents of a Malvern nursing home as members of the English String Orchestra proved to be a powerful reminiscence tool.
Cellist Corinne Frost and Stephen Warner, who plays both double bass and guitar, visited the Mowbray home on Victoria Road to play a concert of classics including Haydn’s Minuet from Sonata in C Major and Bach/Gounad’s Ave Maria alongside more contemporary songs such as Henry Mancini’s Moon River and My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music.
The Right Reverend Martin Badderley, a former archdeacon of Reigate who has lived at Mowbray for six months, found the performance especially moving.
“The concert was absolutely beautiful and very emotional,” he said.
“I was raised with choir music from the day I was born, and my work in the church has meant that music has followed me throughout my life.
“I was delighted to be able to hear Corrine and Stephen play.
“Music is so important. It is moving and uplifts your spirits. In fact, I couldn’t image a life without it.”
Music has been shown to be a beneficial form of reminiscence therapy for older people, especially those living in a care setting.
Recalling happy memories helps to stimulate cognitive ability and can boost mood and self-esteem.
Mowbray’s home manager Julie Barraclough added: “Music is such a powerful tool for stimulating reminiscence and lifting peoples’ spirits.
“As soon as the performance began, you could see the impact it had on everyone who was listening.
“The concert was a moving experience for everybody, and it was a real privilege to hear residents discuss the memories that the songs brought back.”
