The wonders of Wrexham and music have been\u00a0 prescribed\u00a0 to schoolchildren and residents of a care home by Dr Song.<\/p>\n
Youngsters from the town\u2019s Victoria CP School joined with residents of Pendine Park\u2019s Hillbury House\u00a0 care home for the performance by the musician \u2013 otherwise known as composer Stacey Blythe.<\/p>\n
The bi-lingual hands-on event, in the home\u2019s chapel, was part of Welsh National Opera\u2019s Wonder Wagon\u00a0 initiative, part of the WNO\u2019s Singing Doctors project.<\/p>\n
Pendine Park is a Gold Community champion for its\u00a0 support of Welsh National Opera and its ground-breaking three year community project in Wrexham.<\/p>\n
Photos of the residents and youngers, posing in picture frames, will go on display in the town later this year\u00a0 as part of the project.<\/p>\n
Stacey, who brought along her harp, accordion and a host of instruments for the residents to play, said: \u201cThese sessions are some of the most special workshops that I have been involved in. I am constantly surprised by the reaction for the residents \u2013 the power of music to move them is so beautiful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find there is a special interaction between the residents at the sessions – people are very surprising with the music they can create together,\u201d added Stacey.<\/p>\n
The youngsters, aged six and seven from the school\u2019s Year Two, spent time with the WNO\u2019s\u00a0 Singing Doctors Project Manager Ruth Evans to try out different instruments, dress up, wear masks and to talk about the Wonders of Wrexham, before posing for photos.<\/p>\n
Then they joined the elderly residents to create a musical work\u00a0 together, under the guidance of Dr Song, playing instruments such as drums, tambourines and even triangles. And two Victoria\u00a0 CP school pupils\u00a0 Millie and Vilas, both celebrating turning\u00a0 seven, were serenaded by the residents with a performance of Happy Birthday.<\/p>\n
Annice Thomas, 80, said she loved taking part in the event. \u201cMusic is essential to the people of Wales,\u201d she said. \u201cI used to do recitation when I was younger and I\u2019ve really enjoyed taking part in this. I was able to try Stacey\u2019s harp, and I\u2019ve never done anything like that before.<\/p>\n
And for self-styled Queen of the Triangle Selina Jenks, 83, it was a trip back to her younger days, when she took part in amateur pantos, sang\u00a0 and tap-danced, in shows in Wrexham.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cThis is good fun, these sessions are so enjoyable, you can\u2019t beat making music together \u2013 and it is lovely to see the children here as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah Edwards, Pendine Park’s artist in residence, said:\u201d These workshops are very fulfilling for those who live at the home, and enriching for their lives. We know making music is very popular with the residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth the residents and the children had their photos taken within the picture frames, and they were asked to suggest their own wonders of Wrexham. One resident said St Giles (which is one of the seven Wonders of Wales) while another said she was the\u00a0 Wonder of Wrexham herself!\u201d<\/p>\n