Canberra’s Alchemy Chorus choir performs at a recent concert. People living with dementia and their carers are invited to form a new choir in Goulburn. Photo: Supplied.
About eight years ago, Brian Triglone OAM saw a YouTube video of a choir in the United States made up of people living with dementia and their partners.
Brian, whose wife lives with the condition, was interested immediately. With his background of community and rugby choirs, he knew how music can help people with special needs – and the Alchemy Chorus choir was born.
Today, it boasts more than 100 members, with about 70 turning up once a week to sing.
“I suppose you could describe us as semi-serious,” he said. “I’ve read a lot of research about how music can help people living with dementia and it really is true.
“We have rehearsals, we perform, we sing. We’re not after sympathy. What it is really about,” he said, “is having fun.
“It’s also a great opportunity for people to get together, people with dementia and their families, and just have some fun. It really helps.
“We also have a time at choir called ‘the way we were’ where couples, usually carers, can get up and talk about their life together. It’s very cathartic.”
Although these people are brought together with a love for music and singing, the choir means so much more for everyone involved.
It brings together people living with dementia, with their relatives or close friends, volunteer musicians, and singers. Playing and singing together can create an atmosphere of joy, storytelling and community through the power of music.
That’s why the group is called Alchemy, Brian said, because it encapsulates the choir’s mission – blending diverse elements into something truly valuable. The choir is inclusive, welcoming those with dementia who can participate and benefit from singing, as well as their care partners.
Brian said rather than just selecting music and songs that might be popular, the choir opted for songs that everyone could sing, no matter what voice they had.
“We don’t have auditions,” he said. “People can just come and join us and we work with them depending on their voice.
“Most choirs, if you pulled them apart,” Brian said, “would have a few top voices in there. What we have is a blend of voices so we choose the music based on that.
“We also base it in songs people know already.”
Alchemy, which is based in Canberra, is going from strength to strength. It attracts good numbers to its weekly rehearsals and similar choirs have been established along the east coast, including on the South Coast of NSW.
Founder of Alchemy Chorus, Canberra’s dementia-inclusive choir, Brian Triglone, pictured at a recent concert. Photo: Supplied.
And if Goulburn has its way, there will soon be one in that historic town too – all they need, apart from members, is a conductor and pianist.
A special concert has been organised for Saturday 14 September, when Alchemy Canberra and Alchemy South Coast will combine to present their favourite songs in a performance at St Nicholas’ Anglican Church, Goulburn.
The plan is to show the people of Goulburn how a dementia-inclusive choir works and encourage locals to set up their own.
With support from Goulburn “old boy” Brian Triglone, and locals Christa Wood and Jenny Ferguson, the plan is to garner enough interest for Goulburn to have its own Alchemy choir too.
Alchemy really is, Brian says, a bit of “music magic”.
The joint Alchemy choir will perform at St Nicholas’ Anglican Church, Goulburn, on NSW local government election day, Saturday 14 September, from 1 pm. Free, but donations are welcome to help establish an Alchemy choir in the city. To find out more about Alchemy Chorus, check out their website.
Original Article published by Sally Hopman on About Regional.
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