It’s a Tuesday afternoon and a large crowd has gathered to listen to some of the province’s top musicians share their talent. But the venue isn’t a jazz club or a concert hall — it’s the atrium at Dartmouth General Hospital. This is a performance from “Concerts in Care,” a program which takes 45-minute concerts to long-term care homes, seniors’ programs and for several years, to Dartmouth General Hospital.
“We have this great performance space at Dartmouth General with a beautiful atrium and the grand piano,” says Peggy Walt, who has been running Concerts in Care since it began in Nova Scotia in 2019. “We started coming here once a month but there was so much interest we’ve been coming twice a month.”
“Music is healing, and we are so happy to partner with Concerts in Care and bring these performances to help lift the spirits of patients, families and staff,” says Stephen Harding, President and CEO of the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation. “Witnessing world class musicians like Shimon Walt giving back to the community with such joy and passion warms my heart.”
Concerts in Care began in British Columbia and then the idea took shape in provinces across the country. It’s funded through private and public sources, including payment from the venues themselves.
“The idea of bringing music to seniors and others who can’t get out to hear it is fantastic,” says Peggy. “We actually employ professional musicians, and I love that concept too. So often our musicians and other artists are asked to donate their time and volunteer, and they do it, but this is how they make a living.”
But Peggy Walt says that, for the musicians, Concerts in Care pays in other ways too.
“They are very moved by the experience and many of them have said to me that these are the most important concerts that they do,” she says. “It’s so powerful. Honestly, I look at our musicians sometimes and wonder how they are getting through this, because I have tears in my eyes. We’ve had people in the audience singing along and people who have been quite unresponsive suddenly tapping their toes or moving along to the music.”
“I’ve seen firsthand how music from Concerts in Care reignites the spirit in our patients with dementia – patients who haven’t spoken in many months, suddenly, are able to mouth the words to the songs,” says Stephen Harding.
The first concert in March at Dartmouth General featured Vanessa Symonds, John Ebata and Peggy Walt’s husband, acclaimed cellist Shimon Walt. Peggy says one audience member in particular caught her attention at that performance.
“He had such a grin on his face for the whole concert,” she says. “Wherever his mind was taking him I don’t know, but you could feel for a moment he was lifted out of his wheelchair and just hearing the music and enjoying it with others.”
Concerts in Care returns to Dartmouth General Hospital for a 1:30 performance in the atrium on March 17th, featuring some Irish tunes perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. The scheduled performers are the experienced duo of vocalist Daniel Matto and pianist Scott Taylor.
Come join us!
