This week sees a series of 10 intimate live concerts with world-class artists bring joy to residents of Kilkenny hospital settings & residential care homes as part of Mobile Music Machine’s Covid Care Concerts series.
The original series was announced by Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht Catherine Martin TD, starting June 2020 and has seen over 350 concerts already take place.
This local series is a partnership with Kilkenny County Council as part of their Creative Ireland / Creative Kilkenny programme, funded by Age Friendly Ireland.
World-class singer and musicians Sandra Oman, Paula O’ Hanlon, Aoife Durning and Aura Stone will delight residents, patients and staff with a wonderful selection of music and entertainment.
Bach To The Beatles
The live Covid Care Concerts feature everything from Bach to Beethoven and The Beatles to Abba, as well as traditional Irish music and more in-between, usually finishing with We’ll Meet Again by Vera Lynn. All 40 musicians and singers who have taken part to date approach these performances as if they are taking to revered, world-famous stages.
Performers have been delighted to experience the joy that they are bringing to these communities – some of their intimate audiences have included residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia who haven’t spoken in years, joining in and singing along.
Ireland’s finest classical musicians have been joined by world-class talent who perform at the highest level from Opera singers to traditional – the sensational live classical concerts have featured incredible performances from Anthony Kearns, Des Keogh, Celine Byrne, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Claudia Boyle, Emmet Cahill, Sandra Oman, Sibéal, Seán Keane, Orla Fallon, Niall O Sullivan, Simon Morgan and Gavan Ring amongst others.
Pilot project
The pilot project is the largest arts and health intervention supported in response to the pandemic and is funded by the HSE. In 2021, Mobile Music Machine are aiming to deliver a further 250 concerts with the support of Age Friendly Ireland and Healthy Ireland as part of the Irish government’s ‘Keep Well’ campaign.
The project is also a collaboration with Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.
“We are delighted to have played a part in bringing some happiness to these residents with our Covid Care Concerts, especially at a time when families are not in a position to visit their loved ones and when the residents have lost access to all their occupational therapy, such as music, arts and crafts”, says Gerald Peregrine (leading Irish Cellist and founder of Mobile Music Machine).
“By the end of 2021, we hope to deliver over 600 concerts, leading to the employment of 80 musicians, and have high hopes for the future with plans to nationalise this programme in partnership with the HSE from 2022 onwards spreading cheer around the country”.
Mobile Music Machine’s ‘Covid Care Concerts’ is an initiative created by cellist Gerald Peregrine, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in collaboration with Creative Ireland, Age Friendly Ireland and Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.
