Bell entertainers win award
Bell lovers, the Rainbow Chimers, are ringing in the changes at Somercare aged care home in Somerville, Victoria.
Local paper, Peninsular Weekly, reports the group has won a top gong in the Better Practice in Aged Care Awards, overseen by the national Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.
The rainbow-hued campanologists, including a 100 year old member, have travelled throughout Victoria, wowing audiences at nursing homes and conferences. Campanology is the study of bells; their casting, tuning and ringing.
The Rainbow Chimers began in February 2008 after a visit to Somercare by the Hand Bell Society of Australia.
They began with simple melodies like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and their repertoire now extends to 23 tunes including Silent Night, Memories and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
The Chimers’ success has led to a second bell-ringing group at Somercare, the Cool Cats.
Somercare’s diversional therapist, Ros Coughran-Lane, said the groups allowed residents to be more socially involved with one another.
“They worry about each other if one of them is sick and is unable to get to rehearsals,” she said, before revealing the astounding statistic that the combined age of the Chimers is 1,367 years.
