Care home residents have written and recorded their own album - in a studio repurposed from a Covid visitors' booth.
Reflections - Colour your Life with Music was written and recorded by residents and staff at Bupa's Highgate Care Home in Hornsey Lane and launched on September 21 with Islington mayor Cllr Gary Heather as guest of honour.
It features 11 original songs ranging from reggae to opera, soul to Irish drinking songs, written by residents, many of whom are in their 80s and 90s, and the home's music therapist Phil Evans.
Songs included reggae track Mister Right, written by Lovers' Rock devotee Elizabeth Bryant about never finding the man of her dreams.
Mad for the Road is an Irish drinking song by Eileen O'Shea about her Irish heritage.
And Phyllis Levy, 90, wrote the lyrics to Sing Together - about what it’s like to care and be cared for.
“It’s true what I say in my song, you never know what’s round the corner," she said.
"Who’d have thought at the age of 90 I’d write my first song! This project has given me new life. And it’s kept me up in the middle of the night for hours thinking of words!
"It brings us together. It’s magical. I’m so proud of everyone for what we have achieved!’
Aside from Mr Evans, almost nobody involved had written a song before.
Once completed, the songs were professionally recorded by more than 100 staff, friends and relatives in a recording studio created out of a former Coronavirus pandemic visitors’ booth.
Mr Evans said: “I had no idea when we began this project three months ago where it would lead – so to end up recording a whole album of 12 songs is incredible."
He said hearing people sing on the album who hadn’t sung for decades was "truly inspirational".
"To quote one of the album tracks – it’s Never Too Late," he said.
“These songs act as a repository for residents’ lives and experiences, where memories can be stored, rather than be left to be fade away - and then be revisited by themselves, relatives and staff each time the song is heard.
"It was striking that whilst talking to residents about their lives for the lyrics, more details would often be added to their stories each week, as if they were colouring their memories in."
Fieona Connolly, deputy manager at Bupa’s The Highgate Care Home, thanked Mr Evans for "keeping our residents' passion for music alive".
She said: "What started as a project has become part of daily life, with our residents, their families and our team having thoroughly enjoyed taking part in every aspect of it.
"We could not be prouder of their phenomenal work, the songs they have created and the bonds they have made."
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