Ben Odom: We are extremely sad to report the passing of Ben and our most sincere condolences are sent to his wife Janet, and family.
We remebered Ben at Skylarks on 25 May, singing 'The Lord's my Shepherd' and 'Abide with Me'. Frank Geoghegan passed on condolences from our Choir Leader Trish Vella-Burrows, who unfortunately couldn't be with us. Frank said "Ben was a lovely man and a talented musician and will be greatly missed by all - please pass on my condolences to Janet and Family."
Judith Northwood-Boorman read out a Eulogy that she had written about Ben, and this can be viewed by clicking HERE
Medway Skylarks
NEXT SKYLARKS Sessions: Saturday 8 June 2019
Note: No Skylarks on 1 June
Please scroll down for videos of Medway Skylarks singing at the Pentagon Shopping Centre on 10 April and singing in Canterbury on 13 April 2019 - both events to support Parkinson's UK Awareness week.
Many thanks to all who participated in the Medway Community Showcase at the Brook Theatre on Sunday 17 March. The audience were very appreciative, so I think that we can say that we went down very well!! No filming was allowed in the auditorium, but Louise Bungay did take a video clip of us just before we went on stage, see below. Brook Theatre to produce a DVD of this event, details to follow.
Skylarks Newsletter: Please click HERE for the May 2019 newsletter, and HERE to see the March 2019 newsletter, both edited by Phil Bungay.
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME TO JOIN US. Either just turn up or drop us an email for more information: info@medwayneuro.org.uk
Funding News: Many thanks to Bluebird Care for awarding us a £250 community grant, see below. We have also recently been awarded a grant of £1,040 by Medway CCG Small Grants scheme administered by Involving Medway via Medway Community Foundation. This will fully fund 'Sing to Beat' practioners, who run the sessions, for a full term of 13 weeks. Last year Medway Skylarks received a grant of £1,000 from the Aviva Community Fund, as a result of an application by Arthur Waters. We would like to thank all those that helped apply for these grants, and of course we would like to thank the organisations that provided them.
Grenville Hancox, Honorary Professor of Music and Wellbeing at the University of Kent/ Canterbury Cantata Trust, has been closely involved with developing the Skylarks movement and sees this new group as leading the way for other developments nationally. Prof. Hancox said, "Medway Skylarks, supported by the Medway Neurological Network, will show how singing can help and compliment traditional medical approaches to combating neurological problems and is part of a campaign to secure Singing on Prescription and change our world!”
Medway Skylarks has also been invited to give a number of local performances, which they are very willing to do to help promote this therapy.
Examples of recent performances are highlighted below including: Joint Canterbury & Medway Skylarks event in support of Parkinson's UK Awareness week, 13 April 2019; Pentagon Shopping Centre in support of Parkinson's UK World Awareness Day Eve, 10 April 2019; Social Prescribing Day event on 14 March 2019; Nucleus Arts ArtFest on 1 December 2018; Medway Clinical Commissioning Group AGM on 26 September 2018; wHoo Cares Afternoon Tea at High Halstow on 7 September 2018; Grain Carnival & Fete on 21 July 2018; Parkinson's UK Awareness Event, Hempstead Valley on 11 April 20128; Medway Neurological Fair on 24 March 2018; and Medway Youth Trust Charity Fete at Gillingham Park on 15 August 2017.
If you click on the indicated pictures below you can watch videos of Medway Skylarks singing at: Social Prescribing Day event, Nucleus Arts Artfest 2018, the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group AGM, Medway Neurological Fair on 24 March 2018 and below that, the Medway Youth Trust Charity Fete on 15 August 2017. Many thanks to Trevor Nagler for filming and editing the Neuro-Fair videos.
Canterbury: Joint Skylarks choirs to celebrate Parkinson's UK Awareness Week, 13 April 2019
Many thanks to Tony & Junko for organising this event and then welcoming Medway Skylarks into their flat for refreshments. Prof. Grenville Hancox writes: Skylarks heard singing in Rose Lane Canterbury: "Well done every one for realising the coming together this afternoon of Medway and Canterbury Skylarks. It was a great success and I am sure the collecting box for Parkinsons UK will have benefited.
Thanks too for the support shown by Monday Music and Amici Chorus members. We once again demonstrated our strap line Caring through Singing!
Such enthusiasm together with such strong singing should be captured again soon".
To the right is a video of 'Streets of London' (apologies for the wind noise).
Louise Bungay videos can be found by clicking the following links (you may need to increase volume): Dream Dream; Tzena Tzena; Can't Help Falling in Love with You.
Streets of London
We opened our set with our first public performance of Streets of London, led by Nik Vella-Burrows.
Blue Moon
Another first for us, with John Cornwall accompanying on guitar at the back!!
Dream Dream Dream
Close your eyes and you can almost hear the Everly Brothers..perhaps not, but you can hear our amazing choir leader Trish Vella-Burrows singing like a nightingale!!
Joint Medway & Chatham Skylarks performances above to help celebrate Parkinson's UK World Awareness Day (11 April) at the busy, and rather noisy, Pentagon Shopping Centre. Many thanks indeed to Trish & Nik Vella-Burrows and John Cornwall for leading and accompanying the combined Medway & Chatham Skylarks choirs.
Many thanks also to Louise Bungay for the video recordings; the full download of all 6 songs (2.4GB) is available Here.
Parkinson's UK World Parkinson's Day Eve: Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham - 10 April 2019. Organised by PUK Medway Branch and Working Age Group.
Medway Skylarks at the Medway Community Showcase, Brook Theatre, Chatham, 17 March
Medway Skylarks were invited to perform at this prestigeous event and it was a great experience for all of us; we even had a dressing room!! Filming was not allowed in the auditorium, but Louise did take this video of us practicing Tzena, Tzena just before we went on stage. Notice the shamrocks that we were wearing on St Patrick's Day - courtesy of Maggi Alexander - many thanks Maggi.
In addition to Tzena, we also sang Molly Malone and You Raise me Up.
Medway Skylarks performing at Medway Social Prescribing Day event on Thursday 14 March at Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham
Please click the image to the right for a video clip of Medway Skylarks singing Amazing Grace. It should be added that the ambient noise levels were high, so we needed to pull out all of the stops.
Many thank to Trish Vella-Burrows for leading the choir and to John Cornwll for accompanying on guitar.
Medway Skylarks at Medway Nucleus Arts ArtFest on 1 December, Trafalgar Stage, Chatham High Street
Many thanks to Trish & Nik Vella-Burrows for leading the choir so cheerfully on rather a wet & miserable day. Thanks also to Timothy for the videos, accessed to the right.
Thank you Nucleus Arts for the invite!!
Many thanks to Trish & Nik Vella-Burrows for leading the choir so cheerfully on rather a wet & miserable day. Thanks also to Timothy for the videos, accessed to the right.
Silver Bells
Thank you so much to those Skylarks who braved the weather and put on a festive performance.
I'm Dreaming of a White Xmas
Medley: Winter Wonderland/ Rocking around the Christmas Tree/ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Apologies for those viewing on fixed screens, such as laptops & PC monitors, because landscape shots still appear in portrait - don't crick your necks watching!! For those watching on phones & tablets, just turn your screens as appropriate.
Medway Skylarks performance at the St Mary's Island Xmas Fair 2018
Medway Skylarks performed at the SMICC Xmas Fair again this year. The background hub-hub of the Fair made it quite a challenge, but clicking on the picture to the left you will see us singing 'Calypso Carol'.
Many thanks to choir leaders Nik & Trish Vella-Burrows and accompaniest John Cornwall. Also thanks to Mark McGrevey for the song-books and Trevor Nagler for recording and editing the video.
Medway Skylarks Perform at Medway Clinical Commissioning Group AGM, 26 September 2018
We were honoured to be invited to sing at this AGM and hence be given the opportunity to promote our singing & movement 'Sing to the Beat' therapy for neurological conditions. We had an excellent EXALTATION of Skylarks, very ably lead by choir master Trish Vella-Burrows and accompanied by John Cornwall on guitar. Our final song was 'You Raise Me Up' and a video, recorded by Louise Bungay, can be seen by clicking on the image to the right.
MCCG Clinical Chairman Dr Peter Green joins Skylarks - for a photo-shoot!!!
Yes, Dr Green (far right standing) showed a genuine interest in Medway Skylarks and joined us for a photo-shoot in front of the Medway Neurological Network stall at the AGM. Many thanks to Frank Geoghegan for the excellent photo.
Shortly afterwards we did our warm-up/ practice and before you could leave on a jet plane we were performing - the rest is history.
Medway Skylarks Perform at wHoo Cares 1940's Afternoon Tea Party - a 2018 Volunteer Recognition Event, 7 September 2018
Although short on numbers, the gallant few Skylarks kept right on to the end of the road with some wartime classics. Choir leader Trish Vella-Burrows had our audience of wHoo Cares volunteers and local residents joining in whilst they enjoyed a grand tea; no wartime rations here!!! Many thanks indeed to Trish and our guitarist John Cornwall, without whom this show would not have been possible.
Pictures: Martin Chetwood
Grain Carnival & Fete, Saturday 21 July 2018
MNN had a float in the Grain Carnival promoting the Hoo Neuro-Cafes and Medway Skylarks performed a song, written especially for this event. See our final practice of the 'Neuro-Cafe' song, by clicking the picture to the right.
To see a video of the Skylarks singing at the fete, please go to the Neuro-cafes page. Many thanks to John Cornwall (guitar) & Trish Vella-Burrows (choir leader) for making this possible.
Medway Skylarks
Singing their socks off for
World Parkinson's Day
11 April 2018.
Sainsbury's, Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre ^ >>>>>>>>
John Cornwall on Guitar
Many thanks to Graham Swan for the first 3 photos
Trish Vella-Burrows leads the choir
Judith, Olive, Doreen & Maggi lead from the front
Or for a more arty presentation, see the animated slideshow.
Medway Neuro-Fair 2018 videos >>>>>>
Hey, Mr Miller
John Kanaka
Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
Many thanks to Nik Vella-Burrows, Choir-master & Guitarist & Trish
Medway Skylarks at the Medway Youth Trust Charity Fete on 15 August 2017
Nik (Guitar) & Trish Vella-Burrows lead this merry band of minstrels performing at this event held in Gillingham Park.
Please click image to the right to see the video >>>>>>>>>>>
BREAKING NEWS: Prof. Grenville Hancox has participated in the 'Sing to beat Parkinson's Asia Pacific Study Symposiun, 1-3 February 2018' held in Australia. The amazing research findings have been reported by ABC News - Australia: Parkinson's disease improves with singing, study finds. See this report, including a video, here.
Medway Skylarks are part of a study to demonstrate that Sing to Beat Parkinson's can also help improve the symptoms of other neurological conditions, as well as Parkinson's Disease.
Medway Skylarks Session
Isobella from the University of Kent, Media Studies, kindly filmed a recent Skylarks Saturday morning class, and this video gives a good example of the multi-tasking singing and movement that is so beneficial - click image to the right to see the video >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
