Hark! The jolly choir sings! DGS singers visit local care home
On the 10th of December, a selection of carol singers from the DGS sixth form choir went to The Bridge Care Home to sing some traditional carols. The Bridge Care Home in Dartford offers a home and provides care for elderly residents and families from across the county of Kent.
The selection of singers had numerous rehearsals before school, lunchtimes and even after school in order to prepare a beautiful arrangement of 15 pieces.
The care home’s entrance has the reception desk welcoming its visitors, a bar and plenty of seats where the people sat and watched the choir. Students matched the afternoon’s jubilant mood by wearing a variety of Christmas jumpers and festive-inspired clothing.
Songs sung included some classics (such as Silent Night) and some more niche songs, such as The Boar’s Head Carol. The residents of the care home also joined in for certain songs too!
The concert began with Come All You Worthy Gentlemen. An alto, Kamillah, said that this piece was “so fun and festive and was a great start to the performance”.
Some pieces featured a lovely descant, played by Flynn, the school music department’s prided flautist.
After the break, Silent Night was a group favourite. A tenor, Oscar, described performing this as “heartwarming,” especially “when the care home [residents and staff] also joined in.”
However the star of wonder that afternoon was the solo performances during the verses of We Three Kings, where Adrian, Ayoola and Navan sang the parts of the three kings Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar respectively. The carol follows the story of the Wise Men following a star to find baby Jesus. Navan says “singing this carol was an excellent way of sharing the warm spirit of giving at Christmastime, reflecting on the lovingness of the season.”
The musical performance rounded out with Hark! The Herald Angels sing, with a beautiful unison at the end to fill the home with festive warmth.
An encore of We Wish you a Merry Christmas was sung after, as requested by the care home. Even unprepared, the carolers delivered a perfect ending to what was a fun and festive afternoon for all the residents watching and singing along.
After the end of the performance, Mrs Streeks talked with some of the residents who were “pleased to hear carols they remembered from their childhood”. It was a very special experience for students, teachers and care home residents alike.
A key aspect of this event was service for the local community. Within the care home, there was a magical sense of community and joy ignited by the presence of jolly music and good cheer. A soprano’s reflection on the impact of the event, provided by Claudia, was that “the visit played a vital role in entertainment that day”, and she could see the happiness of the residents brought by the singing. She also added “serving the local community is always such a rewarding experience.”
In final reflections, the event was a massive success, delivering an exciting and warm festive feeling throughout the home. The students all thank Miss Quigley for her dedication in putting together an amazing community experience and, above all, an excellent performance. Miss Quigley, in return, praises the “committed and positive” approach of the students through what was an “exhausting” period of preparation. She also reflected on the importance of singing, saying “being able to share the joy of singing is always worthwhile” and, to the residents of the home, it certainly was.