United Kingdom: How the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is Providing Relief for People with Dementia

Taking a bow at the BUDI orchestra summer
2014 concert.

I fell on this article by chance when looking for the 2015 Bournemouth University study on dementia.  It particularly speaks to me as a musician playing piano for persons afflicted with dementia.  Their response to the music - singing, tapping feet and hands, dancing - is wonderful to see.

Breakthroughs in Bournemouth: how the BSO is providing relief for people with dementia
by Harry T. White, The Guardian, 

22 June 2015

A new initiative launched by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Bournemouth University is providing support to people living with dementia and their carers – with moving results

Fifteen months ago, Pam Winter’s husband Richard, now 75, was diagnosed with dementia. The couple, who live in Bournemouth, were enjoying an active retirement; they were season ticket-holders to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and had a wide network of friends. But Richard’s diagnosis and the development of his illness were the catalyst for a dramatic change.

News from Geneva: The United Nations Orchestra Gives Its First Performance in Victoria Hall

The newly-formed United Nations Orchestra of Geneva gave its first performance in Victoria Hall, Geneva, on 16 March 2012 to a full audience of UN employees and dignitaries from Belgium, Sierra Leone and Switzerland.  Many of the 45 musicians work every day at the United Nations and other international organizations. 

“Since music is a universal language, what could be better than an orchestra to create a multicultural bridge and to strengthen links within international Geneva? Who better than the staff of international organizations themselves, many of whom are talented amateur musicians, to constitute an orchestra representing their institutions and the ideals they promote?”