Amazing Cathedral Voices choir grace festival stage

The amazing ‘Cathedral Voices’ choir has hit the road to the 10th City of Derry International Choir Festival, along with the stunning ‘Embla’ choir from Norway.

The dementia-friendly ‘Cathedral Voices’ took to the stage of St Eugene’s Cathedral Hall on Thursday, under the musical direction of the talented Margarette McNamee.

Singing John Denver’s Annie’s Song, Amazing Grace and Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles, it wowed the lunchtime audience.

Margarette has been working with choirs some of whose members are living with a dementia diagnosis since 2017.

Margarette McNamee, Musical Director of the Cathedral Voices choir (Photograph: Tom Heaney)

Speaking to Derry Now, Margarette said she always knew singing was therapeutic.

Smiling, she said: “Older songs particularly help with reminiscence. You know yourself, if you hear a song, it reminds you of your childhood and you’re right back there in your old family home or on a beach on holiday. It just triggers the memories.

“I just thought singing was bound to be beneficial, not to mention the fact it is an all over body workout. 

“You are working the brain because you are thinking of the words of the songs. Sometimes the warm ups I do are very challenging. The choir has to think. The movements I do are also fantastic. They are great for physical health. The breathing exercises and the warm-up are great for respiratory health particularly.

“I did live singing sessions on Facebook during covid because I was adamant they would be really beneficial to anyone with covid, bronchitis or emphysema, a lot of ailments which are common in older people and in Derry,” said Margarette.

Some of the fabulous Cathedral Voices singers. (Photograph: Tom Heaney)

Margarette also works in the Tuned In Project in the city, a creative learning space for adults with learning disabilities, where she has started another successful choir.

Also an accomplished flautist, Margarette said she could not do ‘Cathedral Voices’ without the fantastic help she gets from dementia trained support worker, Donna Deery.

“It is reassuring for families to know there is someone who is specially trained here during ‘Cathedral Voices’ rehearsals,” said Margarette.

Some of the fabulous Cathedral Voices singers. (Photograph: Tom Heaney)

“‘Cathedral Voices’ is a dementia-friendly choir. It is an older persons’ choir and I cannot stress highly enough that people with dementia are more than welcome to come along with a family member or carer and join in.

“It is good craic for everybody. Family members and carers give me great feedback. We have a laugh. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. I love singing. I could not run a race because I am an awful runner but everybody can sing. We sing all kinds of songs. I teach new songs because it is good for our cognitive skills but we sing old songs as well, all kinds of songs for all kinds of genres, country, showbands, you name it.  Song selection is very important because if they don’t like it, we drop it. I need to have a thick skin,” laughed Margarette.

Thanking her helpers, including her sister, Geraldine Canavan, and sister in law Siobhan McIntyre, Margarette encouraged as many people as possible to come along and get involved in ‘Cathedral Voices’, which has now secured the funding to keep going until Christmas.

Margarette is also planning some other socially inclusive activities including dementia-friendly tea dances for older people, their families and carers.

The full fabulous concert can be enjoyed HERE.

Margaret McNulty with her daughter Mary-Anne singing as part of the Cathedral Voices choir. (Photograph: Tom Heaney)

“It is lovely when people come along to the choir with their family members or carers. It provides reassurance for the person and me. They feel safe.”

For more information on ‘Cathedral Voices’ contact: Pastoral Co-ordinator, Emmet Thompson on emmet.thompson@ derrydiocese.org or call 02871262894.

Emmet said ‘Cathedral Voices’ was formed a year ago, with the help and support of the Public Health Agency (PHA) through the CLEAR project, which promotes emotional well-being and mental health.

“The impact that it has had has been excellent,” said Emmet. “It has helped people to tackle social isolation.“Margarette has been fantastic from start to finish. ‘Cathedral Voices’ is something we are looking to continue into the future and we are delighted the Public Health Agency has given us additional funding now which will enable us to continue until Christmas.”