Thursday 2nd February 2023
Yesterday, was the second of my dementia-friendly coffee concerts and it was a truly magical morning! 45 people came to enjoy tea, coffee, cake, and music. There was laughter, smiles, and one or two tears...
I met a couple of new people who had found out about the concert through the Alzheimer's Society, and it was amazing to see initial looks of confusion and apprehension turn into smiles of joy when the singing started!
I was also incredibly touched and moved to tears to see a few dear friends who have lost loved ones to dementia. Being part of a community of people who understand what you have been through / are going through is so important.
We began with a couple of wartime waltzes, "Waltz of my Heart" and "Anniversary Waltz", then we moved into some upbeat tunes...the Italian songs of Dean Martin, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and Buddy Holly. With a couple of singalongs "You are the Sunshine of My Life" and "Que sera sera". I also sang a trio of songs from The Sound of Music, and everyone joined in with Edelweiss using their word sheets... it sounded brilliant!
Thank you so much to my wonderful volunteers Nathan, Lynn, Nick, and James, and to Mavis for making 80 delicious homemade cupcakes!
Katy X