The hour-long programmes are specifically designed for elderly residents and feature music from a range of genres.

The performances mark a decade of ongoing support for the BSO’s music in care homes programme from Tapper Funeral Service, and have been expanded with thanks to Rawlins Davy Solicitors.

 

Care home residents throughout the BCP region are set to benefit from a series of 29 live performances from musicians of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra this season thanks to support from Tapper Funeral Service and Rawlins Davy Solicitors.

The hour-long interactive performances are specifically designed for elderly residents and feature a range of musical genres. Each concert is led by professional musicians from the Orchestra, and residents are encouraged to sing, clap and dance along — with song requests welcomed!

The BSO, which exists to bring culture into people’s lives, was one of the first British orchestras to return to the stage with livestreamed concerts during the pandemic, reaching almost 100,000 online viewers to date.

Thanks to support from Tapper Funeral Service and Rawlins Davy Solicitors, the Orchestra’s livestreamed performances continue to be made available to local care homes, alongside the new in-person care home concerts this season.

The beneficial impact of live music-making is well known in health and care settings and the BSO is celebrated for its work in the domain, having previously been awarded The Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Dementia-Friendly Organisation of the Year’ award. The series follows the return of the Orchestra’s popular ‘Cake Concerts’ which returned to Poole this spring.

Bea Hankey, Acting Head of BSO Participate, said, “The BSO exists to provide cultural opportunity to everyone in the area, both in and beyond the concert hall — and during the past two years we’ve been keen to return to residents in local care homes, who we know really benefit from live music-making. Having kept in touch during the pandemic with our innovative livestreamed concerts, we’re thrilled to finally return this spring and are grateful to Tapper Funeral Service and Rawlins Davy for their generous support for this valued part of the Orchestra’s work.”

Bianca Turner, from The Lindsay Care Home said, “Life within a care home has not been the same during the past two years. The BSO’s music-making has always had such a big impact on the lives of the residents in our care and I’ve seen first-hand how music speaks to the soul, rekindling fond memories of younger days. We can’t wait to welcome the Orchestra’s musicians back this summer.”

 

Tapper Funeral Service this year marks a decade of support of the BSO’s work in care homes, and is sponsoring 24 performances in 12 homes throughout spring and summer. The music in care homes programme has been expanded further, thanks to support from Rawlins Davy which joins the programme to support a further 5 concerts throughout the BCP region.

Steven Tapper, Director of Tapper Funeral Service, said, “Since 2012, Tapper Funeral Service has been very proud to support the BSO’s programme of live musical performance in residential and care homes in the local area. We recognised immediately the positive health benefits given by the provision of high calibre music — performed by BSO musicians — to those living in care settings. We pride ourselves on the high standard of our care to those who are grieving and living with loss, and we are delighted to continue our support of this impactful programme. As we enter into our 10th year of support, we celebrate all that we have achieved together, and the lives that have been — and continue to be — blessed by the music of the BSO.”

Mark Kiteley, Director of Rawlins Davy, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the BSO in taking music to care home residents once again. The Orchestra’s outreach initiatives are such an important part of what the BSO does and we are in awe of the difference it makes to people’s lives, both residents and staff — it is such a tangible example of the amazing power of music. Rawlins Davy was established in 1832 and it seems singularly appropriate that we should be supporting such a wonderful institution as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in what it does, not least in times that continue to be really challenging. I think we would probably all agree that community work, especially in the care sector, is more important than ever after everything that has happened in the past two years.”

This summer, the BSO will also return to Bournemouth’s Meyrick Park for two celebratory ‘Proms in the Park’ performances. It also welcomes the return of thousands of younger audiences to Lighthouse, Poole as in-person Schools’ Concerts make a comeback following two years of digital offerings — over 10,000 children are signed up to experience the performances this May.

The Orchestra concludes its main season of full symphonic music this May, following performances in Basingstoke, Exeter, Poole, and Portsmouth, featuring a range of guest artists from around the globe.

For further information see bsolive.com


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