A DVD suitable for people living with dementia

The Making of this DVD

This DVD has been produced for people who, for whatever reason, are no longer able to access live music. The idea of bringing live classical music into care homes and hospices was initiated in 2007 by cellist Corinne Frost who, along with other ESO musicians, was aware that live music was hugely beneficial to people who didn’t otherwise have access to musical stimulation in their daily lives. The first time I attended an ESO Care Home Concert, I was incredibly moved by the inspirational interaction between the musicians and the residents. It was clear to me that the musicians touched the souls of vulnerable people in a very special way. I thought then that if we were to pre-record these concerts, we could offer DVDs to each home we visit, thereby extending indefinitely the experience and memory of the concert.

Dementia support professionals and practitioners in particular have given us overwhelming confirmation that such a resource will be invaluable. One nursing home owner said “The work of the ESO and those promoting this DVD should be recognised as an essential and ground breaking development in improving the quality of care and life experience of our residents.”

The ESO musicians are all passionate about performing in care homes. Commenting after the concerts, Stephen Warner, who plays double bass and guitar in Downside Up, remarked “We give lots of concerts yet I think our performances in care homes are the only situations where we genuinely make a difference to somebody’s life.”

In the course of raising funds to make this DVD, we have been extremely touched by the compassion and support of so many people. Care sector organisations, companies and individuals have responded to our appeal with tremendous generosity and enthusiasm. However, in order to increase the number of our concerts in care homes and hospices, we need to continue to fundraise. Click here to find out how to support our valuable work

We hope that this project will continue to grow and evolve, enabling us to take more concerts into care homes and hospices, complemented by the DVD, and that we will be able to continue to make a contribution to the quality of life of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Mary Stevens
Producer

(NB: please ignore contact details in booklet as these are now out of date, instead contact carehomeconcerts@eso.co.uk).