Choir fights dementia through song

The Forget-me-Not chorus is something quite remarkable.

The forty strong choir, which rehearses every Monday in Rhiwbina, is made up of Dementia sufferers and carers, many of whom are in the later stages of the disease and find it difficult to communicate.

Does that stop them singing? Far from it, the group belt out the classics with wondrous ability as they rehearse for the choir’s annual Christmas concert.  

Singing engages different areas of the brain, explaining why so many sufferers are able to sing but struggle to talk.

Alan Cummins, whose wife suffers from Dementia, spoke about the positive impact the choir has had; “Dementia gives the sufferer and carer a tremendous feeling of isolation. When you come here you feel part of a community, it’s fantastic.”