Rotarians Singing on their way!
Jeremy Dibb, who is Research and Delivery lead for Warwick – a Singing Town, came to encourage Warwick Rotarians last week to get back to singing for their health and well-being. Apparently we can all sing!
Jeremy Dibb is known to the club as the former Director of Warwickshire Music which brings together the local schools for the Warwick Rotary Club “Midsummer Schools Concert” at St Mary’s Church every June. Following his retirement in 2019 he started to organise to get the whole of Warwick singing.
Warwick – A Singing Town has three main aims to encourage singing in education, in health and in the community.
Singing has Health benefits – it’s the perfect exercise for body and mind; Happiness – singing releases chemicals in the brain which actually make us feel better; Harmony – singing is a shared activity that can bring communities together.
Covid saw communities recognise the value of singing together to raise our spirits, but we were prevented from singing for fear of spreading the virus. Using our lungs is such a good form of exercise it can help build us up and ward off infections.
Warwick – A Singing Town aims to celebrate the joy of singing and for singing to be part of the artistic and cultural post-pandemic renewal in Warwick. There are already 12 community organisations working alongside Warwick – A Singing Town – including the Folk Festival, St Mary’s choir, and Armonico Consort who run the Warwick Memory Singers for people living with Dementia and their carers.
Music Education in England is in crisis due to poor funding and other priorities. Jeremy and his colleagues have been working in schools supporting teachers to get children to sing. In the community he is establishing workshops for local residents – “Sing for Joy” is starting at Chase Meadow Community Centre, and on May 1st there will be a concert for Ukraine to raise funds.
King Henry’s Endowed Trust has earmarked 3 years funding to support the project aiming for Warwick to be the first “Singing Town” and they hope to arrange a choral pageant of all the groups in 2023. The project is supported by the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation.
If you would like to know more there is a website www.warwicksingingtown.co.uk, or contact Jeremy Dibb @ jeremydibbmusic@gmail.com.
Thanking Jeremy for his presentation Rotarian Laurie Day said “we are all singing from the same songsheet” and admired his work to get kids from all backgrounds enjoying music. President Paul Jaspal gave him a small donation.
