Look out Launceston, because a new supergroup is coming your way.
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The Aldersgate Choir, consisting of residents from the Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate Community, recorded a CD to raise funds for equipment at the home.
Leisure and lifestyle assistant Adam Page said recording the CD was “quite the experience”, especially as some members of the choir were living with dementia.
The choir chose to perform their favorite songs, Waltzing Matilda, You Are My Sunshine, and Amazing Grace.
“Because of their dementia, some of these people can’t even remember the names of their children, but they knew these songs off by heart,” Mr Page said.
Mr Page said he sings to residents in the memory support unit as they often remember the words to songs.
“I get them singing,” he said. “When I start singing, they start.”
“They can remember all of the words. Sometimes they even correct me.
“It really shows the power of song.
“They virtually lose all of their memories, but the last thing they lose is memories of childhood.”
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Students from the TasTAFE campus at Alanvale recorded the choir singing.
“Students at Alanvale TAFE did a really great job recording,” Mr Page said.
He said it only took an hour and a half to record the CD, despite having no rehearsals at the home beforehand.
“I explained to [the choir] that we were going to sing the songs through twice, one as a rehearsal and the second as the real deal,” he said.
“They just nailed it.”
Many members of the choir couldn’t remember being involved with in the project until seeing their face on the CD cover or hearing their voice on the recording.
“When I played it to [the residents] afterwards, many of them cried.”
The choir were gifted with their own copies of the CD on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Page told the choir they “were all rockstars”.
“We’ll be rolling out the red carpet for you when we have our official CD launch,” he said.
The CD can be purchased from Aldersgate Village for $5.