Our Blue Light Christmas Choir with Tauranga Intermediate School was another huge hit with our local residents at resthomes and retirement villages around the Bay. Our choir and team were able to visit 6 villages from Mount Maunganui to Welcome Bay and out to Pyes Pa.
Blue Light Tauranga has been working with the amazing students at Tauranga Intermediate School Choir for more than five years now. Taught by their very talented music teacher Carol Storey, she manages to put together beautiful arrangements of some classic christmas carols and adding some modern twists to make the carols modern.
With a choir of 35 students strong, 2 of our Police staff – Senior Constable Leanne Fairbairn Tauranga South Community Constable and Constable Emma Buxton School Community Officer, and Te Aranui Youth Trusts Manager Tanya Grimstone, jumped onto the bus for the day and cruised around to the different rest homes to bring some christmas joy into the lives of the residents. The Dementia care units were particularly happy to see us; residents who haven’t spoken or engaged for a while, lit up at the sound of the music and joined in. Some even remembering the words to their favourite carols and sang with the choir.
It was an amazing day which brought tears to the eyes to a couple of our staff and was well received by all of the homes we were able to visit. Over 100+ residents enjoying the Blue Light Christmas Choir tour of 2017.
A huge thank you to Kathryn Busbridge and the team at Bethlehem Views Coachlines. Your generosity of a free bus for the day with our lovely driver was greatly appreciated.
Kath and the Subway Greerton Team – Thank you for our lovely lunches. The students and staff appreciated their subs, cookies, and water. Your support again is greatly appreciated.
Homes we visited in 2017 were:
Malyon House, Bayswater Metlife Care, Pacific Coast Village, Somervale, Greenwood Park Metlife Care, Radius Althorp.
If you would like to be involved with our Christmas Choir tour please email mentor@tayt.org.nz for more details.