FERMANAGH tenor Andrew Irwin has recently been appointed Northern Ireland Co-ordinator for Lost Chord Dementia Charity – an innovative charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and wellbeing of those living with dementia using interactive musical stimuli to increase their general awareness and self-esteem.

“It’s sending musicians into care homes to provide what we call ‘interactive music sessions’, tailored to those who are suffering from dementia or dementia-like symptoms,” said Andrew, who first got involved with Lost Chord in 2017, when he took part in a care home tour as a performer whilst he was living in England.

“I guess I realised immediately that I had a passion for it, and for what music evidently does. It is entirely different from my work on stage in that it’s completely for the residents.”

Lost Chord was founded by Chief Executive Helena Muller in 1999. From its earliest beginnings with 11 residential homes in Rotherham, Lost Chord has expanded into many parts of South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, with satellite schemes in London and Wales.

Last year, Andrew was making videos for Lost Chord in England, whilst living back in Fermanagh over lockdown, when he started to think about the potential for the charity’s work to be carried out in his home county.

A passionate advocate for Fermanagh, Andrew wanted to provide something for residents in care homes across the county so he wrote to the Council and a pilot scheme was set up.

“This ran in summer, 2020, in which we did socially-distanced outdoor concerts in care homes, with musicians Jonathan Beatty and Jim McGrath,” said Andrew, adding: “We got across 11 care homes back then.”

From then Andrew had been researching how he would get it started up properly.

“I managed to get the first bit of funding I applied for from the Arts Council, the Arts & Older People Programme; we got a very nice grant from them, and that’s how it all started,” Andrew told this newspaper.

Since securing the Arts Council funding in October, Andrew was appointed the position of Northern Ireland Co-ordinator for Lost Chord – a role he is currently carrying out from Germany, where he is working as a tenor with an opera company.

The latest Lost Chord tour, which took place last week and featured musicians Maria Cameron and Jim McGrath, was a great success.

“The Lost Chord musicians attended seven care homes across Fermanagh and Omagh, and one in Coal Island,” said Andrew, explaining that in the future he hopes that the tour will be able to cover 15 care homes within a week.

Talking about the impact of Lost Chord sessions on dementia sufferers, Andrew shared a story from his experience on tour in Yorkshire.

He said: “At the moment we’re not allowed to hold hands with anybody, but [back then] I got down on my knee and held hands with a lady.

“I was singing, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, and tears started running down her cheeks and I asked her to please sing with me, and she sang, ‘If happy little blue birds fly, beyond the rainbow, why, oh why, can’t I?’ with me.

“A staff member came running up to me after the concert and said that the lady’s family hadn’t heard her speak in 18 months. So the power of music is incredible for dementia,” he said.

For more information on the Lost Chord dementia charity in Northern Ireland, contact Andrew via LostChordNI@lost-chord.org.uk.