Southern Culture
Did You Know?
Literature
Lewis Carroll author of Alice's adventures in wonderland, and Through the looking glass, died in Guildford in 1898 while staying with his sisters at "The Chestnuts", Castle Hill. He is buried in The Mount Cemetery. Sculptures of Alice, and of the white rabbit are on the riverside in Guildford town centre near St Nicolas church.
Silver Song Club Project
During the first year of its operation, the Sidney De Centre worked with Making Music South East to establish the Silver Song Club Project which provides opportunities for groups of elderly people to participate in singing and music making, with the support of experienced musicians and volunteers from local choral societies and singing groups. A charitable company, Sing For Your Life, was then created to manage the development and operation of the Silver Song Club Project, and at the start of 2007 there are now 30 Silver Song Clubs in operation or due to start right across the South East of England.
The Sidney De Haan Centre is undertaking a series of careful evaluation studies of the Silver Song Clubs project and its impact on the lives of elderly people. The first stage of research is a formative evaluation involving observation of existing clubs, and interviews with facilitators, volunteer supporters, care staff, informal carers and elderly participants. More controlled studies will follow to assess the impact of participating in music-making and singing on measures of subjective well-being and health. The aim is to establish an evidence base for introducing a Singing on Prescription scheme to promote the value of singing and music-making for older people.
For more information about the Silver Song Club Project, visit the Sing For Your Life website: