Tony Christie lends support to Care Home Open Week
Conisbrough born Tony stars in a special charity Singalong Show to showcase the power of music in dementia care
82-year-old Tony Christie has lent his time and support to Care Home Open Week, by starring in a special radio Singalong Show designed to get care homes across the UK singing alongside him.
The one-off, 40 minutes Singalong Show is made by specialist radio station, m4dRdadio.com. Hosted by TV actress Sian Reeves - best known for Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Cutting It - it also features fantastic voices from the Bakewell and District Community Choir.
The Singalong Show was recorded back in April at Steelworks Studio in Bakewell where Tony, the choir and Sian sang a range of well-loved classics together, designed to get everyone joining in at home and in their care homes. Listen out for songs such as Yellow Submarine, Lean On Me and It Had To Be You.
Care Home Open Week is a nationwide initiative running June 16-22 that sees over 5,000 care homes across the UK open their doors and encourage the public to pop in to experience what warm and friendly spaces care homes are. This year’s open week is partnering with the Music for Dementia campaign on a ‘power of music’ theme.
The Singalong Show will run three times per day during Care Home Open Week at 10.30am, 2pm and 7pm on m4dRadio.com’s Mix Channel. Song sheets can be downloaded in advance from Music for Dementia’s website, musicfordementia.org.uk.
Tony Christie announced in 2023 he has dementia, and soon after became an ambassador for the Music for Dementia campaign, releasing a charity single for them in July 2023 and supporting their recent Give It A Go campaign. Tony hasn’t let the condition impact his singing career and released a new album earlier this year.
Tony says: “I had such fun being part of The Singalong Show. What a great initiative! Singing has definitely supported my health so I encourage as many people as possible to tune in and join in.”
Sarah Metcalfe, MD At Music for Dementia says: “If you’re looking after someone with dementia music can be a really useful tool to help. It can raise your spirits when things look bleak, it can manage stress and agitation, it can spark memories and create moments of joy. Singing is one of the easiest ways to use music – you don’t have to have a voice as smooth at Tony’s, all singing helps even if it’s TV advert jingles or football chants.”