OUR CHOIRS
Hohepa Choir – Run by Southern Music Therapy
For people with Intellectual Disability in partnership with Hohepa Canterbury. This choir uses musical instruments, dance, songwriting, and improvisation to authentically express the voice of the group.
Barrington – Hōhepa Choir – 2.30pm Tuesdays @ Hōhepa Canterbury – Open to the Community –
To find out more about the Hōhepa Choir, please email Steff Parks steff.parks@hohepacanterbury.com, remember to mention Southern Music Therapy sent you!
Laura Fergusson Residential Choir
Papanui – LFT Choir – 11am Fridays @ Laura Fergusson (Closed Group).
For more information about the LFT Choir, please contact us to go on the waitlist.
Our partnership with the Cantabrainers Choir Trust
The choir was co-founded in 2012 by Therapy Professionals Ltd and our director Kimberley Wade.In 2019 the Cantabrainers Therapeutic Choir Charitable Trust took over management of the Choir.The Choir is a Therapeutic Choir for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke and Multiple Sclerosis. It is lead by our Registered Music Therapist (Kimberley Wade) and a Registered Speech Language Therapist (Angela Reimer).
Cantabrainers Choir differs from other community choirs in that you don’t have to be a ‘singer’ - it’s about learning to use the voice effectively, in a fun way; it suits a wide range of abilities; the pace is slower; the repertoire is chosen to target specific difficulties; it’s not as challenging; and practice is in the morning when people are fresh.
While the music therapist leads and accompanies the choir, the speech-language therapist focuses on clients who require individual support during the session. Together, their combined skills provide the members with not only obvious clinical improvements, but also the framework for strong social interactions between all, leading to increased confidence, enjoyment and energy.
The close collaboration between the music therapist and speech-language therapist both before and during the sessions, using a variety of elements of music and speech (rhythm, pace, pitch and volume), enables those who have difficulty with vocal expression and communication caused by neurological conditions to “find their voice”.
A Choir for people with neurological conditions – lead by a Southern Music Therapy in Partnership with the Cantabrainers Choir Trust. Cantabrainers Choir and North Canterbury Choir are both run in collaboration with a Speech Therapist Angela Reimer.
Rangiora – North Canterbury Choir – 1pm Tuesdays @ Rangiora War Memorial – Taking new comers
Christchurch – Cantabrainers Choir – 10am Wednesdays @ Mary Potter Community Centre
Dementia Choir
Papanui – Dementia Choir – 1pm Wednesdays @ Braintree Wellness Centre - ONLY open to Dementia Canterbury members.
To find out more about what Cantabrainers Choir or the Dementia Choir, contact Charlotte and say that Southern Music Therapy Sent you!
Charlotte Crone
charlotte@therapychoirs.org.nz
02040584425