About MUSICALITY
"Music can be therapeutic to many of our senior citizens,
including those with dementia. It can reduce anxiety and
depression and help to maintain speech and language.
Musical memories can enhance quality of life and have
a positive impact on people´s lives."
Based in South Buckinghamshire, Richard Greenaway is a singer — Sasha Craig-Taylor, a singer and keyboard player. Together we visit Care Homes and clubs for older people in the Bucks and Herts area, with a view to bringing joy and happy memories to their clients.
Each one-hour interactive audio visual performance is packed with images, a narrative and music. We cover four decades, ranging from the 1940's to the 1970's. We discuss subjects such as the fashion of the time, major events, TV and films, toys and pastimes, education and, of course, the music that was topping the charts at the time. Each performance is a unique audio visual presentation, with a slideshow of memorable images and video clips, live music from Sasha, on a Yamaha keyboard and vocals.
Based in South Buckinghamshire, Richard Greenaway is a singer — Sasha Craig-Taylor, a singer and keyboard player. Together we visit Care Homes and clubs for older people in the Bucks and Herts area, with a view to bringing joy and happy memories to their clients.
Each one-hour interactive audio visual performance is packed with images, a narrative and music. We cover four decades, ranging from the 1940's to the 1970's. We discuss subjects such as the fashion of the time, major events, TV and films, toys and pastimes, education and, of course, the music that was topping the charts at the time. Each performance is a unique audio visual presentation, with a slideshow of memorable images and video clips, live music from Sasha, on a Yamaha keyboard and vocals.
A Chilterns Musicality performance.
Here are some examples of some of the content of our presentations
Musical medley 1 covering the 1940´s, 1950´s and 1960´s
Care-homes usually book this performance first, as it takes residents on a journey from the 1940´s (most residents can identify with these war-time memories) right through to the swinging 1960´s with the colourful fashion and music of that era. During those thirty years, the residents can recognise many important images, songs and events from their younger years. This three-decade performance covers the most memorable events of the time, as well as much-loved songs. It lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes but we can be flexible to fit in with your schedules.
A Chilterns Musicality performance.
Musical medley 2 covering the 1950´s, 1960´s and 1970´s
Details available soon.
A Chilterns Musicality performance.
1940´s
... We´re going to take you on a musical journey back to the 1940´s - a decade of war and hardship but also a time of inspirational music and singers. We will be singing and playing for you, at regular intervals, and we´re relying on you to join in. All the words are in the books we have provided, so join us now, as we journey back in time ...
... The music of the early 1940´s was mainly swing, big band, jazz, Latin and country music. Please join us as we sing a typical love song from 1940, ´You are my sunshine.´ It was written by Jimmie Davis, an American singer/songwriter, who was also a politician. He live to the great age of 101 ...
... As everything was in short supply, from mechanical parts, building materials, fabrics and food, everyone had to ´make do and mend´. Metal railings were taken from front gardens to be re-used for making planes and weapons, and material would be salvaged from worn out clothing and curtains to make new fashion items. Old jumpers would be unpicked to make new ones and darning became a common evening pastime, whilst catching up on the war news on the wireless, in the evenings ...
... The American GIs brought over with them new and exciting dance styles, including the Lindy Hop, The Cake Walk, Jive dancing, the Jitterbug and Swing. Many young British women went to the dance halls at the weekends, to have a good time, and when the American troops started arriving on British shores, they captivated war-weary British girls...
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1940´s
A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square - Vera Lynn, Bless ´em all - Gracie Fields, Don´t sit under the apple tree - Andrews Sisters, The White Cliffs of Dover - Vera Lynn, Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag - The Andrews Sisters
... The music of the early 1940´s was mainly swing, big band, jazz, Latin and country music. Please join us as we sing a typical love song from 1940, ´You are my sunshine.´ It was written by Jimmie Davis, an American singer/songwriter, who was also a politician. He live to the great age of 101 ...
... As everything was in short supply, from mechanical parts, building materials, fabrics and food, everyone had to ´make do and mend´. Metal railings were taken from front gardens to be re-used for making planes and weapons, and material would be salvaged from worn out clothing and curtains to make new fashion items. Old jumpers would be unpicked to make new ones and darning became a common evening pastime, whilst catching up on the war news on the wireless, in the evenings ...
... The American GIs brought over with them new and exciting dance styles, including the Lindy Hop, The Cake Walk, Jive dancing, the Jitterbug and Swing. Many young British women went to the dance halls at the weekends, to have a good time, and when the American troops started arriving on British shores, they captivated war-weary British girls...
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1940´s
A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square - Vera Lynn, Bless ´em all - Gracie Fields, Don´t sit under the apple tree - Andrews Sisters, The White Cliffs of Dover - Vera Lynn, Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag - The Andrews Sisters
A Chilterns Musicality performance.
1950´s
... I´m sure we´re going to have a wonderful time, immersing ourselves in the musical memories. And we´re relying on you to join in - sing if you can, or clap if you can´t! It doesn´t matter if you can´t sing in tune – no-one will notice. Along the way, I´ll be talking about life in the fifties – the politics of the time, clothing, films and television.
Let´s kick the show off with a song you probably all know – Memories are made of this...
... Going back to technology, we have made amazing progress since the 1950´s. Take, for example, the telephone. There were no mobile phones and many parts of the country still had to rely on switchboard operators to connect them. Many people shared a line with their neighbours, so you had to be careful what you said, you never knew who was listening!
A new TV channel, ITV, was also launched, in the London area, ending the BBC´s monopoly.
Commercial television relied on adverts for their funding. So, let´s have a look at some of the products we used to buy in the fifties. There were no supermarkets - most people had to shop several times a week. Here are some of those old adverts for products that are still available – sixty-five years later! Can you remember any of their catchphrases and jingles ...
...Pop music became a very important part of life from the 1950´s onwards. Musicians became far more adventurous and gone were the full orchestras with their screeching violins, making way for electric guitars, drums and synthesisers. The older generation of that era were shocked to see people like Elvis Presley, gyrating around the stage in suggestive poses – but the teenagers loved it! ...
... It was when children reached their teens that everything changed. Suddenly, they were falling in and out of love and they had to have the latest pop records, wear the latest fashion and go to the local coffee shops to be with their friends to listen to the jukebox and dance. There was rock and roll, jive, swing, and boogie-woogie, to name but a few. Our next song, Bye bye love, was sung by the Everly Brothers, whose beautiful harmonies captured the hearts of love-struck teenagers on both sides of the Atlantic. It vocalises the pain of romantic break-ups. So here it is – Bye bye Love ..
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1950´s
Memories are made of this - Dean Martin, Catch a falling star - Perry Como, The twelfth of never - Johnny Mathis, Too young - Nat King Cole, Come Fly with me - Frank Sinatra, Lollipop - The Chordettes.
Let´s kick the show off with a song you probably all know – Memories are made of this...
... Going back to technology, we have made amazing progress since the 1950´s. Take, for example, the telephone. There were no mobile phones and many parts of the country still had to rely on switchboard operators to connect them. Many people shared a line with their neighbours, so you had to be careful what you said, you never knew who was listening!
A new TV channel, ITV, was also launched, in the London area, ending the BBC´s monopoly.
Commercial television relied on adverts for their funding. So, let´s have a look at some of the products we used to buy in the fifties. There were no supermarkets - most people had to shop several times a week. Here are some of those old adverts for products that are still available – sixty-five years later! Can you remember any of their catchphrases and jingles ...
...Pop music became a very important part of life from the 1950´s onwards. Musicians became far more adventurous and gone were the full orchestras with their screeching violins, making way for electric guitars, drums and synthesisers. The older generation of that era were shocked to see people like Elvis Presley, gyrating around the stage in suggestive poses – but the teenagers loved it! ...
... It was when children reached their teens that everything changed. Suddenly, they were falling in and out of love and they had to have the latest pop records, wear the latest fashion and go to the local coffee shops to be with their friends to listen to the jukebox and dance. There was rock and roll, jive, swing, and boogie-woogie, to name but a few. Our next song, Bye bye love, was sung by the Everly Brothers, whose beautiful harmonies captured the hearts of love-struck teenagers on both sides of the Atlantic. It vocalises the pain of romantic break-ups. So here it is – Bye bye Love ..
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1950´s
Memories are made of this - Dean Martin, Catch a falling star - Perry Como, The twelfth of never - Johnny Mathis, Too young - Nat King Cole, Come Fly with me - Frank Sinatra, Lollipop - The Chordettes.
1960´s
... The sixties era was perhaps one of the most settled periods of the 20th century. Those years were very much driven by the younger generation, who had money in their pockets and time for leisure activities. It was during the sixties that young people began to express themselves more and more, with art and fashion – and in particular - music ...
... The 1960´s was a time of prosperity for many people, particularly the younger generation. There was plenty of work, as Britain started to recover, after the difficult post war days. Designers, like Mary Quant introduced the miniskirt, kinky boots, short hairstyles, blue eyeshadow, false eyelashes and pale pink lipstick, seductively modelled by Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton...
...From the beginning of the sixties, the Beatles, a group of four Liverpudlian lads were beginning to make a name for themselves and by 1964, they had their first hit song – ´I wanna hold your hand´. Soon, their music spread across the world to the States, Europe and Australia and they touched the hearts of millions of young girls, whose screams were so loud, you could barely hear the music. Sadly, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only ones who are still alive and Paul McCartney is still singing and composing to this day...
...In the mid 1960´s, much of the news was dominated by the antics of the Mods and Rockers. The Rockers were bikers who wore black leather jackets and other motorcycle-related attire whilst the Mods rode scooters and dressed in suits and neat clothing. The reason they hit the news was because of their regular scuffles on bank holidays, when they rode their bikes and scooters down to the coastal seaside towns and engaged in fights...
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1960´s
Will you still love me tomorrow - The Shirelles, Let´s twist again - Chubby Checker, Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard, A Groovy kind of love - Wayne Fontana, Moon River - Andy Williams.
... The 1960´s was a time of prosperity for many people, particularly the younger generation. There was plenty of work, as Britain started to recover, after the difficult post war days. Designers, like Mary Quant introduced the miniskirt, kinky boots, short hairstyles, blue eyeshadow, false eyelashes and pale pink lipstick, seductively modelled by Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton...
...From the beginning of the sixties, the Beatles, a group of four Liverpudlian lads were beginning to make a name for themselves and by 1964, they had their first hit song – ´I wanna hold your hand´. Soon, their music spread across the world to the States, Europe and Australia and they touched the hearts of millions of young girls, whose screams were so loud, you could barely hear the music. Sadly, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only ones who are still alive and Paul McCartney is still singing and composing to this day...
...In the mid 1960´s, much of the news was dominated by the antics of the Mods and Rockers. The Rockers were bikers who wore black leather jackets and other motorcycle-related attire whilst the Mods rode scooters and dressed in suits and neat clothing. The reason they hit the news was because of their regular scuffles on bank holidays, when they rode their bikes and scooters down to the coastal seaside towns and engaged in fights...
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1960´s
Will you still love me tomorrow - The Shirelles, Let´s twist again - Chubby Checker, Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard, A Groovy kind of love - Wayne Fontana, Moon River - Andy Williams.
1970´s
...The 1970´s was a decade of strikes - postal workers, miners and dustmen. It ended with the ´winter of discontent´ in 1979 when ITV went off the air for five months. In February, 1972, we had to stick to a three-day week because the miners went on strike and there wasn´t enough electricity to go round...
.. In the summer of 1976, we had ten weeks without rain. There were hosepipe bans and many people suffered from heat stroke. Crops failed and water supplies reached critical low levels...
... In 1977 the nation celebrated with street parties, for the Queen´s Silver Jubilee..
... Fashion changed radically from the 1960´s. Gone were the mini-skirts and flared trousers, and flouncy dresses were all the rage. Big hair and long droopy moustaches adorned the young men and ´Flower Power´ gave the youngsters a change to experiment with recreational drugs. Hippies could be seen at all the music festivals ...
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1970´s
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond, Knock three times - Tony Orlando, Raindrops keep falling on my head - B J Thomas, Lean on me - Bill Withers, Top of the world - Carpenters.
.. In the summer of 1976, we had ten weeks without rain. There were hosepipe bans and many people suffered from heat stroke. Crops failed and water supplies reached critical low levels...
... In 1977 the nation celebrated with street parties, for the Queen´s Silver Jubilee..
... Fashion changed radically from the 1960´s. Gone were the mini-skirts and flared trousers, and flouncy dresses were all the rage. Big hair and long droopy moustaches adorned the young men and ´Flower Power´ gave the youngsters a change to experiment with recreational drugs. Hippies could be seen at all the music festivals ...
TYPICAL SONGS OF THE 1970´s
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond, Knock three times - Tony Orlando, Raindrops keep falling on my head - B J Thomas, Lean on me - Bill Withers, Top of the world - Carpenters.
A Chilterns Musicality performance.
Country classics down the decades
This performance is packed with music (with large font words for the residents to sing along). There is a short historical narrative between each song, which takes the listener on a musical journey right from the 1920´s to the 1970´s.
... Today, we are going to take you on a journey through the decades, celebrating well-known country music, from the 1920´s to the 1960´s.
All the song words will be up on the screen, so please feel free to join us as we sing for you ...
... In Britain in the late 1920´s and 1930´s Britain was going through a recession, but life in America was even harder. America´s Stock Market Crash in 1929 caused The Great Depression. The hardship of those years was reflected in the music of the time. Songs such as Georgia on my mind, Don´t get around much anymore and Blue Moon of Kentucky are still popular to this day ...
... We are now going to watch a video. This song, ´Don´t fence me in´ was also a hit in the UK in the 1940´s. It shows Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger, as they perform in a club called The Hollywood Canteen ...
... We´re going to sing another song, now, from 1960. ´Paper Rose´ was originally released by Anita Bryant in that year, but the song really rose to fame in 1973, when it was sung by Marie Osmond ...
... Some of the twenty songs from our performance are: Red River Valley, Tennessee Waltz, Singing the blues, Act Naturally, King of the road and Stand by your Man ...
... Today, we are going to take you on a journey through the decades, celebrating well-known country music, from the 1920´s to the 1960´s.
All the song words will be up on the screen, so please feel free to join us as we sing for you ...
... In Britain in the late 1920´s and 1930´s Britain was going through a recession, but life in America was even harder. America´s Stock Market Crash in 1929 caused The Great Depression. The hardship of those years was reflected in the music of the time. Songs such as Georgia on my mind, Don´t get around much anymore and Blue Moon of Kentucky are still popular to this day ...
... We are now going to watch a video. This song, ´Don´t fence me in´ was also a hit in the UK in the 1940´s. It shows Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger, as they perform in a club called The Hollywood Canteen ...
... We´re going to sing another song, now, from 1960. ´Paper Rose´ was originally released by Anita Bryant in that year, but the song really rose to fame in 1973, when it was sung by Marie Osmond ...
... Some of the twenty songs from our performance are: Red River Valley, Tennessee Waltz, Singing the blues, Act Naturally, King of the road and Stand by your Man ...
Musicals down the decades
Coming soon!!!
A Chilterns Musicality performance.
About our audio visual performances
Each performance is designed to be interactive. The narative provided by Sasha and Richard together with the visuals and music has been developed to help your residents recall memories and significant events in their lives and trigger their memories.
The visuals are displayed using your TV or projector and screen via a standard HDMI cable from our computer. This is generally a simple process and just requires plugging in the cable to your device and selecting the input from your device, typically using your remote controller. If you have any queries about the suitability of your display device (TV or projector) please contact us.
The visuals are displayed using your TV or projector and screen via a standard HDMI cable from our computer. This is generally a simple process and just requires plugging in the cable to your device and selecting the input from your device, typically using your remote controller. If you have any queries about the suitability of your display device (TV or projector) please contact us.