Innovative opera sessions are music to the ears of Lennox House residents

Home news

May 13, 2019

Residents at Lennox House spent a tuneful afternoon with a professional opera singer, thanks to an innovative music therapy scheme.  

Lennox House welcomed professional soprano, Nazan Fikret, for an intimate performance. This was the third in a series of concerts organised at the home since the beginning of the year, and the benefits for older people, especially those living with dementia, has been impressive so far. 

The pilot project sees Care UK partner with Songhaven, a community interest company, with the aim of bringingworld class professional musicians into six Care UK homes in the London area, including Muriel Street, Ogilvy Court, Highbury New Park, Elizabeth Lodge and Elmstead House, with dementia friendly concerts taking place once a month. 

The scheme was launched following successful opera events last summer, with Nazan being one of the first singers to perform in a Care UK home. Her career highlights so far include her recent debut with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, as well as singing the Queen of the Night for Garsington Opera. 

After a moving performance, Nazan joined residents and team members for a tea party, where she shared her experiences as an opera singer. 

Sibusisiwe Moyo, home manager at Lennox House, said: “As part of our activity-based care approach, we are always looking to plan exciting activities for residents. Previous opera events have been a real success, and proved that many residents had a keen interest in opera, so we were delighted to be involved in this initiative. 

“Nazan delivered a beautiful and touching performance, and it was wonderful to see the emotion on the residents’ faces. We would like to say a big thank you to Nazan, and to all the singers involved in the scheme for making a positive difference to the residents’ lives. We’re already looking forward to the next performance.”