London choir explores Alzheimer's disease through music in a performance Saturday
A special talk and concert by Chor Amica highlight the effects of music on the mind
Something fascinating and mysterious can happen when someone living with Alzheimer's disease hears a familiar song. They could hum along with a melody, begin to move to the rhythm or even start to sing along.
The connection between music and Alzheimer's will be explored in depth at a special concert event by Chor Amica at the Oakridge Presbyterian Church on Saturday.
The London chamber choir will be performing American composer Robert Cohen's oratorio Alzheimer's Stories, which tells a dramatic series of stories through soloists, the choir and an ensemble of percussion and brass instruments.
"It's a contemporary story and one that certainly resonates with me personally," said Patrick Murray, Chor Amica's artistic director and the conductor for the performance.
"I've had two of my grandparents be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but so have a number of other people in our choir and I'm sure many people who will be in our audience. We're excited to be creating a space to reflect and support both people who have experienced this within their families, but also because it's an issue that impacts our society at large."
Exploring the music and mind connection
The concert will begin with a talk led by Jessica Grahn, a neuroscientist at Western University's Centre for Brain and Mind, whose focus of research is how music affects our minds.
"We do know that music is wired quite deeply into the brain. It's one of the first experiences that we really see little infants respond to and parents instinctively know this," said Grahn. "We use lullabies and play songs to help regulate our kid's moods. And those deep links seem to be preserved long into degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease."
WATCH | Jessica Grahn discusses the science of music and the mind on London Morning:
Grahn said someone with Alzheimer's may be at the point where they're not recognizing friends or family anymore, but they will still recognize songs from their youth, their childhood, and be able to sing along.
"If you imagine experiencing Alzheimer's, there's a lot of confusion in your day. There are a lot of things that are happening that are not in your control. And this doesn't really put anybody in a good mood," said Grahn. "But what music really seems to bring out, for some people, especially if they had a connection with music throughout their life, is a real transformation of not just mood, but sometimes that change in mood really seems to bring forth an ability to communicate and engage with the people in the room that just wasn't there."
Expect a moving performance
Murray said that the same emotional experience that music can provide will be on full display on Saturday.
"I think the audience should expect a moving experience," he said. "This is this is a piece that really takes you on a journey."
The first movement of Alzheimer's Stories begins with excerpts from the transcripts between Dr. Alois Alzheimer, the German psychiatrist and neurologist who discovered the disease, and his first patient. The second movement highlights true stories that were gathered from the original choir that commissioned the oratorio. The final movement is called For the Caregivers, which offers prose of hope and support.
The Chor Amica performance features vocal soloists Catharin Carew and Bradley Christensen from Toronto, along with a 15-piece orchestra of local professional players.
The concert is in partnership with the Alzheimer Society Southwest Partners and Western University's Centre for Brain and Mind. The pre-concert talk is at 7:15 p.m., with the performace following at 7:30 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit the Chor Amica website here.
LISTEN | Exploring the effects of music on our brains with neuroscientist Jessica Grahn:
