Village Choir Sings for the King

Celebrations to mark His Majesty the King’s coronation in 2023 were met with a special choir formed by the Belong Morris Feinmann Community.

Apartment tenants and residents prepared for the performance of a lifetime, with a little help from Manchester choir master extraordinaire, Dan McDwyer.

Newly formed for the occasion, The Tomforte Community Choir met weekly to practise their harmonies ahead of the royal event on May 6^th which saw the ensemble, perform for fellow residents, family and friends as part of the coronation festivities programme.

The dementia specialist enlisted the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) alumnus after being inspired by his work with Ariana Grande, Emeli Sandé and Katherine Jenkins, along with musical direction of thriving community projects focusing on singing for mental health and wellbeing.

Angela Luckett, Cultural and Experience Co-ordinator at Belong Morris Feinmann, shares more: “I think our customers are the most engaged I’ve ever seen. Many may not recall the previous week’s rehearsal but when they come, everything just clicks; they remember what we’re doing, the words and the melodies. Thanks to our new best friend, Dan, dementia leaves the room for an hour – it's remarkable.”

In addition to the pleasure of companionship earned from the gatherings, the workshops benefit cognitive ability, having been designed to challenge the participants gently. Dividing them into subgroups to sing their own ‘rounds’ simultaneously, for example, requires much concentration at the individual level.

Dan McDwyer, musical director of The Tomforte Community Choir, explains: “This goes further than a sing-along: we’re creating a choir who are performers. Though most have little or no experience, we wanted to give everyone the chance. People take joy from the sound they create together and that makes them proud, walking away knowing they’ve produced something special.”