Marston Court, an Oxford care home, has received a performance of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ from Sweet Charity Choir and a £250 donation from the organisation’s supporters.
The performance, in a pre-recorded video which opens with members singing and communicating in sign-language, was dedicated to Marston Care Home and Deaf-SELF, a London-based charity.
Members of the Sweet Charity Choir choose causes to support every month, with a mission to boost community spirit through their music. This performance was nominated by singer Kym Mason, sister of the home’s Activities Coordinator, Penny Jenner.
Jenner, writing on the care home’s website, believes recordings such as this are “invaluable to keep spirits up in such difficult times” and said that the “donation will enable us to book some of our regular entertainers to perform via zoom for residents, keeping them in work and us entertained. It’s a win, win!”
The performance had a profound emotional effect on residents of the care home, with manager Sharon Fenn reporting that “there wasn’t a dry eye in the house” following the video. The charity aimed to anticipate “bright and cheerful years to come” through the song, originally written in 1939 and sung by Judy Garland.
The choir’s moving video provided entertainment to a care home that would usually be attended by local performers. However, due to coronavirus restrictions such events are currently impossible.
Care homes across the UK have been badly hit by the Covid-19 crisis, experiencing deadly outbreaks of the virus. The government has tried to tackle this by aiming to offer all older residents a coronavirus vaccine by 15th February, in an attempt to restore future normality to care homes. It is hoped they will one day once again be able to receive performances, like that of Sweet Charity Choir’s, in-person.
A video of the performance can be found on YouTube and the choir’s Facebook page.
Sweet Charity Choir was approached for comment.
Image: stevepb via pixabay.com
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