A lively sing-along choir in the Australian bush gives locals living with dementia a new lease on life.
Drawing a crowd of up to 250 singers each week (they need a bigger hall) and affectionately referred to as the “best show in town”, this is country hospitality at its finest. Yes, there are egg sandwiches and lemon slice. And yes, that’s a crowded dance floor lined by abandoned walking frames – but underneath the party atmosphere something profound is happening. Time and again, when the music starts, buried lyrics of songs from the past bring people back to the present. For a time, loved-ones get their person back. How is it that people who are barely able to converse one moment, can light up singing the words of an old tune by heart the next?
Offering a place to connect, reminisce and celebrate for those living with dementia as well as carers, loved ones, people living with disability, and an army of apron-clad volunteers, the all-inclusive Sing Out community is thriving. But how can they continue to welcome endless newcomers when the rehearsal hall is already bursting at the seams? How will they afford to keep the doors open? How can they hold a fundraising concert if they can no longer fit the choir on a stage?! And watch out – there’s an old-time dance on the horizon to give everyone a real chance to dress up and dance their way back to their heyday…
Contrasting the bustling activity of weekly sing-alongs with the reality of isolated, slow days waiting for Tuesday to roll around, this uplifting character-driven documentary challenges the stereotypes of ageing, proving that those society may deem as “past it” still deserve the chance to kick up their heels.
They’re not done yet…
Sing Out is about the joy of music and the power of community.
“Tuesday used to just be the day after Monday, now it’s my favourite day of the week!”
