Bay of Plenty retirement village residents who are preparing for a concert next month have found their mood improving alongside their singing.

Six choirs will put on two concerts at Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village on August 12-13; the culmination of a project to get retirees more socially active.

“We realised after Covid-19 that a lot of people were quite depressed, so we needed a way to keep the aging population occupied,” says event organiser Helena van der Merwe. “When you sing, you can’t think about anything negative.”

Omokoroa Country Estate formed a choir three years ago and found it has helped people to settle into the retirement living environment and even to overcome depression and deal with grief.

“The value of the interaction between the elderly during rehearsals and the positive health effects that it has on the body is widely acknowledged and published,” says Helena. “We’ve seen amazing improvements in people who had sunk into acute depression after experiencing loss in their lives. They have a new focus.”

At the Music Festival, 120 singers will perform a range of songs from classics like ‘Sweet Caroline’ to nostalgic tunes like ‘In The Mood’. A ukulele band and 99-year-old Coreen Gray, QSM, who sings and plays piano are also in the line-up.

“I can tell you the average age is 83,” says Helena. “I’m in awe of our participants. They have age-related mobility issues; some are in wheelchairs, some are sight impaired and almost all wear hearing aids. “There are so many physical challenges and yet they sing like angels.”

The individual choirs practice weekly, and this will be the first time they’ve come together for a concert that will culminate with a mass choir performance. “We’re hoping it will become an annual performance,” says Helena. “Everyone is working so hard. It will be a really beautiful event.”

All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Waipuna Hospice and StarJam.

The Bay of Plenty Villages 2023 Music Festival is at Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village, 60 Maranui St, Mount Maunganui, from 2pm on Saturday August 12, and Sunday, August 13. Tickets cost $10 each by emailing samantham@metlifecare.co.nz

See what else is happening in and around Tauranga below:

Association Croquet
Mon, Wed, Sat at Club Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St. 9.15am for 9.30am start. Visitors & new players welcome. Ph Jacqui 07 574 9293

Bay Singles Social Group
Join a bunch of over 50’s young singles.Weekend dinners, pot lucks, occasional outings. Have a go! Ph Delia 027 284 8762, Andrea 021 133 0313

Bay Singles Social Group
Join a bunch of over 50's young singles. Weekend dinners, pot lucks, occasional outings. Have a go! Ph Delia 027 2848762, Andrea 021 1330313

Beth-El Messianic Family
Celebrate Shabbat (Sabbath) as did Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), his disciples and early believers. All welcome. Otumoetai Primary 10am, Youtube Live@10am, FaceBookLive @11am. Joel 021 768 043 info@bethel.org.nz

BOULES - PETANQUE!
Tauranga BOP Club Tawa St. Social + competitive play. Boules available. New players welcome. Phone Ray - 027 756 3565 - for times, further details.

CAB Tauranga AGM
Citizens Advice Bureau Tauranga are holding their Annual General Meeting on Monday 21st August. 10am at St Enock's Church, 134, 16th Avenue, Tauranga.

Hearing Support Bay of Plenty
Tauranga Cochlear Implant Consumer Group (CICG) Saturday 12th August, 10:30am–12 noon. The Kollective, 145 Seventeenth Ave.

Otumoetai Tennis Club
Adult tennis. Start time 1.30 pm. Bellevue Park, Windsor Road (adjacent to swimming pool). New players & visitors welcome. Ph Victor 0275771818 a/hrs.

Repair Cafe Tauranga
Volunteers come together and fix objects destined for landfill for free. @basestation Durham street, Tauranga. Last Saturday of every month 9.30-11.30am. Free ticket at www.tinkd.nz

St Stephens Jigsaw Library
Every Saturday 10am-12noon. Hire for 2 weeks a variety of 600 puzzles. Please wear a mask. Cnr of Brookfield and Highmore Terrace.

Taijiquan and Qigong
Sat & Wed 9 am free Taiji / Qigong group. Kulim Park on beach by big rock/playground. All welcome. Ph Petro 021 751 665

Tauranga RSA Club Night
Friday & Saturday from 4pm Members draw, raffles, etc. All welcome 07 578 9654

Tauranga Social Dance Club
Sequence Dancing Sat 8th July Wesley Church Hall 100 13th Ave 7-10pm $7 incl supper plus raffles All welcome Ph Jan 5763455