Many recreation staff would have at their facility the Ulverscroft red and blue large print songbooks which are used for sing along sessions or entertainment where there is a pianist to play the music or a music therapist is present.

There are 381 songs in these books and nearly all are well known to older residents or clients. The songs are iconic songs of a bygone era including hymns and Christmas carols.

There are several reasons why these songs are so well known to older residents. They may have learnt the songs at school or church. In the forties and fifties in NSW primary classes had singing from songbooks and lessons from the ABC radio – I personally remember this! Many might have learnt the songs from their parents and grandparents when having a singsong around the piano was a popular home entertainment.

The ages of our residents at a facility or clients attending a day centre are often old-old people often living past their eighties and well into their nineties and longer. These songs still have relevance to older people today. They appeal to the long term memory where singing and reading stay with a person having learnt to read and enjoy music when very young. Providing activities that engage the very frail and elderly is a challenge for all therapists in aged care.

This new music resource produced by AGED CARE MUSIC RESOURCES consists of two Books of CDs that provide backing music to ALL songs in the Ulverscroft blue and red large print song books played by professional musician and entertainer, Barry Hall OAM.

This resource can replace the entertainer/pianist and provide music therapy at any time at your facility.

The combined total number of songs recorded in these two books of CDs total 381 SONGS in all recorded on 19 CDs.

Both Books of CDs are presented as two A5 size spring bound books, a red and a blue book.

The sound quality is excellent and the presentation and ease of use makes this resource a valuable investment at a facility catering for people living with dementia.

Find out more at www.agedcaremusicresources.com