Community Music
For the last 18 years, the Oxford Concert Party has delivered community music to disadvantaged people and isolated communities across the county. Each year we aim to deliver concerts and workshops in residential homes for the elderly or sufferers with Alzheimer's, in community centres to people with special needs, in isolated village halls and to many primary schools and prisons across the country. With passion and energy, humour and sensitivity we take our listeners on a journey which transforms, heals and humanises, especially those imprisoned by isolation, disability, illness or walls.
Prison Projects:
The Oxford Concert Party started its prison work in 1992. Initially the group played straight concerts in many prisons throughout the UK and Ireland, including HMP Grendon, HMP Bullingdon, HMP Whitemoor, HMP Canterbury, HMP Perth, HMP Leyhill, HMP Dartmoor, Cork Prison, Limerick Prison and Mountjoy Prison. These concerts were always very successful. However, it became apparent from the response of many of the prisoners that a more prolonged and personal contact was needed so the group started doing four-day projects often involving men who had had no previous experience of practical music-making as well as those who already had musical skills. The response of prisoners has been such that the group is determined to try to develop and extend its work in prisons in the belief that music can play a key role in the rehabilitation process. This belief is underwritten by the former Home Secretary, Jack Straw, who expressed a personal interest in the projects.
As a result of our recent project in HMP Shepton Mallet, we asked the Chaplain, Revd Peter Browne, what he thought the value was of projects such as ours:
"Immeasurable. The instant impact on the participants was very noticeable. I have never had so much positive feedback from any course. Also the long term value will present a lot later when we see how many continue with music."
"Thank you all so much for a fantastic week. The skill and professionalism of the team was excellent. I have already informed other Chaplaincies throughout the South West Region about your work. I would recommend any Chaplaincy Teams who are inclusive and holistic in their work to book in the OCP. I feel it can only benefit the work of Chaplaincy and its profile in the prison, and certainly improves the quality of the lives of those in our care. We look forward to booking you again in a couple of years time.
Many thanks."
Our prison projects create a break in routine for the inmates and brings them the opportunity to do something new which in itself is very powerful - as one inmate at Shepton Mallet said, "You've taken us all out of jail for the week". The project also does so much more, such as building their confidence and developing their skills in problem solving, communication and team building. For many of the men with whom we work, developing their skills in these areas, skills which are important in every aspect of life, can prove to be the catalyst which starts them thinking about their lives post-prison. As another inmate said, "If one person does something different from this it's all worth it." Indeed, if one man goes "straight" as a result of what he has learned about himself through attending a prison project and using the follow up support of the prison service, that is a saving to the tax paying community on average of £38,000 per inmate per year. That is before you begin to think about the positive impact in social terms on him, his family and children and his local community.
Education Work:
The Oxford Concert Party has undertaken many concerts and education workshops all over the country for children of primary school age and/or for children with special needs. A one-off concert focuses on audience participation in an informal and relaxed way to make the experience as engaging and enjoyable as possible for the listeners. A project of five workshop sessions with a final 'performance' can cover aspects of music such as the four elements of sound using rhythm games, movement, singing, dancing, simple composition and improvisation, miming and acting. Oxford Concert Party currently offers five such workshops projects.
'Musical Bumps' a general music project with no specific theme.
'A Dustbin Full of Songs' based on environmental issues.
'Where's my Home?' which addresses issues surrounding immigration, refugees and asylum seekers.
'Go With The Flow' a music and drama project based on the history of the Thames which also addresses environmental and global issues surrounding water. This project is led by 2 musicians and an actor.
'Five a Day' a singing project for reception classes on the theme of healthy eating.
Music for Elderly Groups and People with Special Needs:
Since its inception the Oxford Concert Party has made a special commitment to a programme of concerts for the elderly, people with dementia and adults with learning difficulties. This stems from the belief of the Artistic Director of Oxford Concert Party, ARne Richards, in the healing and humanising power of music. As well as his skills as a professional performer and composer, ARne is a highly trained and experienced music therapist.
The Oxford Concert Party has had some wonderful responses over the years from people with special needs, Alzheimer sufferers and the elderly. At the end of a concert at Whitehaven Hospital, Cumbria, where our audience was in the main Alzheimer sufferers, an elderly gentleman rose to his feet and made an eloquent, if slightly muddled, speech of thanks. This would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that as an Alzheimer patient himself the nurses had not heard him utter more than two words in the last five years: the music had unlocked his hitherto imprisoned faculties and encouraged him to speak once more.
Ann, born and brought up in Ireland, was suffering from dementia. Her carers at the Calder Day Centre, Banbury, told us that she did not communicate at all except through anger. When she heard Irish music being played she immediately transformed, laughing and talking, even able to translate the Gaelic title of a tune. Her carers were truly amazed.
Our Intergenerational Project, 'Music and Memories' brings elderly groups together with primary school children and uses both music, poetry and story-telling.
Music in Rural Communities:
The Oxford Concert Party has for many years been involved with bringing music to rural communities, performing in village halls throughout the West Midlands, East Anglia, Central and Southern England, and the Northwest. We have also toured successfully to Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Singing in Communities:
There are many people who would love to be able to sing but believe they can't - usually because of a negative childhood experience. We believe that everybody can sing and that bringing people together to do so is an immensely rewarding, enriching and empowering experience. Oxford Concert Party's director, ARne Richards, has for many years facilitated choirs for "non-singers" and these have been immensely successful.