Colin and his wife Sheila moved into Debden Grange in May. They’ve been getting settled and finding out what clubs and activities are available in the community. The clubs and activities that exist are generally led by residents. Colin, who has a lifelong appreciation for classical music, and used to play the French horn in an orchestra, wanted to start a club in support of his hobby and share his love of classical music with others.
Along with a fellow resident, Ian, whom Colin describes as a “technical genius”, they have worked on a monthly programme of classical music appreciation sessions. Hosted in the community’s library, where the acoustics are best, they invite everyone to attend and enjoy listening to the music together. Each month the sessions last about two hours. Colin introduces each piece of music and researches interesting facts about the composers or a particular orchestra performance of the piece to share with the group. Ian is responsible for pulling all the music together and the technical detail behind playing it to the group.
The club is starting to take shape and they’ve had sessions on English Music through the Ages, Sounds of the Sea, and most recently a session on Winter and Yuletide where they listened to some classic pieces including “Winter” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The next session is a residents’ choice session; Colin and Ian asked all those who attend what they would like to listen to and share with others. There’s been a huge variety of choices and they are both looking forward to the session.
Colin commented,
It’s not intended to be an academic session, it should be fun and informative for everyone involved. The group is growing in popularity and we’re hoping some more residents will join in the new year so we can continue enjoying the music together.