The Orchestra of St John's successful Moving Music project at the Jacqueline du Pre Building, Oxford cotinued with a concert for individuals with dementia on 28th July 2008.

In 2007/8, the Orchestra of St John's provided musicians for four Moving Music concerts which allow audience members to experience music in an informal environment and sing along to favourite tunes. On Monday 28th July those who attended received a performance by autistic pianist Derek Paravicini and singer Christine Cairns of popular and classical pieces. Read about it on the Jacqueline du Pre Building website here.

Alexandra Loewe, Projects Manager explains, "The audiences of Moving Music concerts are made up of care workers bringing day centre visitors as well as individual carers. Everyone feels at ease and they light up when they hear the funny stories John Elliott [tuba] comes up with or the amazing virtuostic passages Ian [Scott] demonstrates on the clarinet. We encore what the audience sing loudest and as the hour progresses couples have shared a very special moment of connection, care workers have sung along with people who normally don't say a word and the musicians smile from ear to ear as their playing receives full hearted appreciation. A mum brought her four adopted children who suffer from Down's syndrome to one concert. When the music began, her eldest son stood up in front of the whole audience and danced uninhibitedly in perfect time to the music."

There are plans for four more concerts in the series.  For more information contact alexandra@osj.org.uk or call 07725 721245.