Generations sing together in Adelaide

The repertoire included an Elvis medley, a version of ‘Que Sera Sera’ and ‘Jai Ho’ (the theme from the movie Slumdog Millionaire) as well as songs from the South Australian Primary Schools’ Festival of Music.

ACH Group Dementia Learning and Development Unit Senior Manager Lenore de la Perrelle says the aim of the concert was to develop intergenerational links between the choirs and schools through a combined interest in singing and performing.

“People love to sing, but when a big group of different people sing together, when different voices combine to sing the same songs, it really lifts the spirits,” she says. “Singing is something that people can do together regardless of their background or their age. Everyone gets a buzz out of it.”

The choir was made up of more than 130 primary school students from St Leonards, Ridgehaven and Redwood Park Primary Schools, and 120 older people from the ACH Group Sing for Joy choirs at Seaford, Glenelg, Payneham and Wynn Vale. They were also joined by the Italian Chorale led by opera singer Teresa La Rocca and pianist Emma Knights.

The Musical Director was Carol Young and legendary South Australian Vaudeville performer and personality Phyllis Skinner, 94, MC’d the concert.

Redwood Park Primary School Year 5 student Grace Gaunt says she and her friends enjoyed being part of the event. “I thought it was really fun getting to know some of the people and singing with them,” she says. “The music was really good too.”

Her mother Bron Gaunt had watched students perform as part of the Festival of Music earlier this year and enjoyed seeing the generations come together.

“The sound was really rich and beautiful, with the older and younger voices together, it was very, very special,” she says. “Everyone looked like they were having fun – it was just awesome.”