You never know what’s round the corner… written with 90 year old resident Phyllis, Sing Together is a ‘We are the World’ -style ensemble ballad, about what it means to care and be cared for, including a mass sing-along at the end. The recording and video for the song features over 30 residents, relatives and staff, including many who have never recorded music before (and never thought they would!) alongside experienced singers and professional musicians connected with the home.

As a woman in her 50s from a Jamaican family, resident Elizabeth grew up listening to Lovers’ Rock, the genre of romantic reggae that was made popular in London by the likes of Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson in the 70s and 80s. In Mister Right, which harks back to the sound of that era, Elizabeth writes how she never found the man of her dreams and how now she’s in a care home, it’s her love of Lovers’ Rock that keeps her going and hoping! It features stellar performances by Patrick, cleaning assistant at the home alongside Faye Hamilton – a phenomenal singer and friend of another resident, Jennifer.

A gentle folk duet between mother and daughter, examining how roles are reversed inevitably as our loved ones get older. The song was written by Louise, daughter of resident Geraldine, and was performed by three generations of the same family – Pam, daughter Sarah and great-grandaughter (and Guildhall student) Jess on flute.

A 40s-style mid-tempo swing number about the Navy life of resident, John (89), a native of the Isle of Wight (where Ryde is situated). John loves jazz and used to be in the Royal Marines Band for many years where he played the tenor saxophone - he insisted that a sax solo be included in the track! He has spoken many times about the amazing experiences during his time in the Marines, some of which he talks about in his introduction to the song. Whilst researching the song we were able to get John back in touch with his brother, who he hadn’t spoken to in years - ‘the best of brothers’ as John said.

An Irish end-of-the-evening sing-along! Resident Elieen has her heritage in Kerry, Ireland although she lived much of her life surrounded by fellow Irish in Kilburn, North West London. The title of the song is something that her Uncle Mickey used to say about her whenever she was staying on his farm back in Kerry – because she was always itching to get out and see friends, go down the pub and look for the craic. The first two verses remember her times in Kerry and Kilburn, the third tells us she’s still mad for the road, even if now the road is in her head.

The recording of this song was done live down the road from the care home in the Brendan The Navigator pub, a renowned Irish music pub in London, using professional Irish folk musicians as backing with Eileen present – her first trip to a pub in years!

A lo-fi 70s classic groove. Stafford Cohen has always loved to sing. This song, a duet with Stafford and Phil is about how he felt he had lost his singing voice due to his illness and then here at the home he found it again, realising that it’s never too late – anything can still happen. Indeed a couple of months ago Stafford and music therapist Phil put on a gig singing in front of a packed appreciative crowd of relatives, friends and residents at The Highgate Care Home, which had been turned into a nightclub with full PA, stage dressing etc

Rosie Johnson MBE was a professional violinist with the Welsh National Opera before suffering life-changing injuries in a car accident in 1988. It left her with little movement or speech and confined to a wheelchair, seemingly unable to play music ever again.

Over four musictherapy sessions in September 2023, Rosie and Phil wrote, performed and recorded ‘Here I Am’ for the album.

Rosie and Phil been working on finding a way for her to play the piano again - and the song began life as a simple improvised piano duet.

They had also been working on encouraging her to use a her voice to sing - and whilst listening back to the duet, Rosie began to vocalise a simple melody, which she and I then spent another session putting words to. The completed song was then sung by Hollie Kindon – a West End performer and grandaughter of another resident at Bupa UK.

Once recorded, Phil approached Chris Seed, a highly respected concert pianist who was a great friend of Rosie’s at music college to see if he wanted to contribute something, and he sent over a beautifully understated analogue synth solo for the instrumental. This was the first time they have played ‘together’ since Rosie’s accident.