Chorus Connections was a partnership project between Arts Well, Little Bird Music, Truro Nursery School and Mountford House, a Cornwall Care home for older people.

The purpose of the project was to bring young and old together to enjoy singing and making music together, placing music at the heart of the activity.

The specific aim for the participants was to lift mood, improve wellbeing and create a connected community.

Within this aim there were specific outcomes for each group of participants and stakeholders:

For care home residents:

• Reduced social isolation
• Improved mental health
• Improved well-being
• Opportunity for reminiscence
• Improved and increased communication
• Moments of joy

For nursery children:

• Improved and increased communication
• Moments of joy
• Development of musical skills and education
• Increased confidence
• Increased independence
• Improved social skills
• Improved language skills

For staff (in both care home and nursery school):

• Increased confidence about running similar activities in the future
• Increasing staff knowledge and skills

The project was also seeking to improve intergenerational connections which would be observed through:

• Increased interaction between the children and older people
• Greater understanding and empathy between the generations
• Families enjoying and supporting the experience for their relatives/children
• An ongoing relationship between the nursery school and care home

Between November 2018 and June 2019 Little Bird Music delivered 20 intergenerational music sessions, combining singing, hand percussion and sensory props, using a multi-sensory teaching approach.

Each group consisted of 9 children aged 3 and 4, and as many residents as wanted and were able to participate, usually ranging from 6–8 in the ‘inner circle’ and a few others who watched – and joined in – from a little further away.

Each session had a theme – Remembrance, Flora Day, Weather, The Sea, Night and Day were some of these – and the music and singing was enhanced by various props: pictures, hats, scarves, bubble and puppets. Instruments included rhythm sticks, boomwhackers, drums, tambourines, bells, maracas, woodblocks and both children and older people were encouraged to sing and play together. Songs were varied including nursery rhymes and folk songs, action songs, new and old songs from jazz, musicals and pop genres as well as many classic older songs. Singing was sometimes accompanied by recorded music but often unaccompanied too.

The project budget was just under £5000, and funding came from UnLtd and in-kind support from Truro Nursery School.

We used a range of tools for evaluation, including Leuven scales for wellbeing and involvement of children, observations, interviews and feedback from staff.

Impact on residents

• Anticipation and excitement
• Elevated mood – before, during and after
• Expanding their world
• Improved alertness and concentration
• Improved communication – with children, staff and each other
• Increased mobility and dexterity

Impact on children

• Improvements in wellbeing and involvement (Leuven) leading to improved learning
• Increased confidence and independence
• Anticipation and excitement
• Increased understanding of ‘big people’ and their world
• Improved communication skills
• Improved co-operation and socialisation skills

Impact on staff

• Elevated mood – before, during and after
• Positive experience in the day
• Experience a different aspect of the people they care for
• Surprised by how engaged some people are

“You wouldn’t think that the clients are lonely here because there’s so may people around, but there’s social isolation – somebody that can’t converse very well or has got no mobility can feel very, very lonely. Even if you’re in a room full of 10 other people you can still feel lonely, but when the children come in, that loneliness goes, even if it’s just for half an hour, it just disappears. It’s that value of what happens in that half an hour.” (Deputy Manager of Care Home)

“H would often ask excitedly when getting ready [for nursery] ‘Is it a Mountford House day?’ and would be thrilled when the answer was ‘yes’!” (Parent)

“It was great to see her so enthusiastic about visiting the care home each week.” (Parent)