A HIGHLY regarded 100-year-old Limerick trad musician will be among nursing homes residents performing for a special national music performance to mark Nursing Homes Week 2023.
The Music Speaks broadcast, to take place Monday August 21, will encompass performances from over 100 nursing home residents from more than 30 nursing homes.
Featuring from County Limerick will be traditional 100-year-old musician Peig Ryan, from Murroe, a resident of St Anthony’s, Pallasgreen, performing ‘Peig Ryan’s Polka‘.
Noel Smith of Killeline Care Centre (Windmill Healthcare), Newcastle West, will sing ‘Never Grow Old‘.
A dozen residents from Milford Care Centre, Castletroy, will sing ‘You Are My Sunshine‘, led by Karen Kelly on piano.
Beatrice Adam of Roseville House, Ballysimon, will recite a poem titled ‘Music and Us‘.
James Noonan, also a resident of Roseville House, will sing ‘Shanagolden‘.
The Music Speaks performance will be broadcast to over 400 nursing homes with 25,000 residents across the country and available for the broader public to watch via NHI.ie.
The performance is a highlight of the broader online Music Speaks festival, which will mark a national celebration of nursing home care.
The Music Speaks festival will include performances from Mobile Music Machine with Niamh Kavanagh, Sive, Ross Scanlon, John McCormack, and John Spillane.
Tadhg Daly, Nursing Homes Ireland CEO, said: “We are thrilled to have brought together a very special performance of nursing home residents to mark Nursing Homes Week 2023 and our Music Speaks festival. Nursing homes are home to truly very special people, who are tremendous characters and have a rich legacy in song and music.”
“Our Music Speaks performance encompasses one resident who is 100 years of age playing accordion, a 98-year-old delivering an excellent piano solo, a 95-year old singing ‘Boys from the County Armagh’.
“Residents love to sing and perform and the Music Speaks extravaganza honours the talents of the very special people in our society who are nursing home residents.”
