Oz & Armonico Cycle & Sing for Dementia hits the road on Tuesday 10 September on its sixth epic charity bike challenge to raise £20,000 for singing projects for people living with dementia.
TV personality, wine writer and all round super supporter Oz Clarke again heads up the 4 day ride. The singing cyclists will cover 200 miles from Armonico Consort’s home in Warwick via Oxford, Thame, Marlow, Windsor and Winchester to a regular haunt at Lighthouse, Poole.
During the tour, we’ll give interactive mini-concerts in care homes, encouraging people to sing along, clap and play percussion instruments. The music will feature Armonico’s trademark mix of beautiful Baroque music to well-known songs from stage and screen.
“The transformational effect of music is incredible, especially on people living with dementia. When we arrive, the place is silent and when we leave, we’re leaving a party. Music seems to stay in people’s minds when much else has been lost. Oz Clarke
In Marlow, we’re working with Dementia Action Marlow and opening the concert to the community and anyone who wishes to attend – just turn up, at 1.30pm on Wednesday 11 September at St Peter’s Church, Marlow.
This year, we are looking forward to gathering residents from local care homes together, providing a valuable opportunity to engage in activities outside of their home. We will be joined in Windsor by young singers from Eton College and in Oxford from Worcester College Choir to bridge the generational gap.
The singing cyclists will give a final concert at Lighthouse Poole, where Armonico has a long-standing relationship, for residents of three nearby care homes.
During lockdown, Armonico’s professional musicians worked with The Alzheimer’s Society’s Singing for the Brain programme and used the specialist training to set up Warwick Memory Singers. The weekly group is a lifeline to many of those who participate, bringing the benefits of singing to people living with dementia and a precious chance for carers to connect with loved ones through music.
Will you sponsor our cyclists per mile on this challenging journey to support more Memory Singers groups?
We are very grateful to Roger Medwell MBE DL, and Paul Rivers and Tractivity for their sponsorship, and to BluDog and EBCO for their support.
We’re really looking forward to being back on our bikes for the sixth year, to share some joy, music and laughter with people living with dementia and their carers.
WATCH ITV’S REPORT ON OZ & ARMONICO’S BIKE CHALLENGE 2023
