A weekly singing group at Finchley Reform Synagogue brings people living with memory loss and their carers together through music.
Language is often the first thing that dementia steals from its patients. Words slip away, sentences soften, and communication slows down. But on Monday mornings at Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS), voices return in unexpected ways.
Singing for Memory is a weekly programme for people who are living with conditions affecting memory, along with their carers or family members. Hosted across several synagogues in the UK, the sessions provide a friendly and stimulating social environment.
The health benefits of music therapy for conditions affecting memory, such as dementia, have been widely studied, with the ability to revive emotional memories and improve neuroplasticity.
Singing also acts as a form of gentle exercise, encouraging deep breathing, which in turn promotes healing in the entire body.
At Finchley Reform Synagogue, the sessions are run by a team of dedicated volunteers, as well as Emily Raiher, a specialist music therapist and singing coach.
“It isn’t a therapy session,” volunteer leader Susan Dawson explained, “but Emily integrates therapeutic elements.” Having been trained at the Alzheimer’s Society, Emily can skilfully navigate challenging dynamics and is able to adapt the session to the needs of whoever is present. “Emily is the one who makes it all happen,” Susan told me.
Before the singing begins, participants gather round a table for tea, biscuits, and a friendly catch-up. The room slowly fills up as members arrive, greeting familiar faces and settling into the space. Rather than in a typical choir setup, participants and their carers sit facing each other in a large circle.
“Music is the last to go,” Danielle Jeffries told me. She oversees eight Singing for Memory groups across Greater London, each hosted in a different synagogue and coordinated by Jewish Care.
“It’s the first thing we connect with, the sound of our mother’s heartbeat, and often the last thing that remains when memory fades.”
The FRS group is so popular that there is a waitlist to join, with some members waiting as long as six months before a space becomes available. Danielle explained that each group builds its own song catalogue and musical identity, with songs differing based on the participants’ preferences and histories.
Maurice and Gusti are among the regulars at the FRS group, having finally joined after half a year on the waitlist. “I was a choir master for 50 years,” Maurice told me proudly. Later, he led the group in a heartfelt rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, his voice carrying enough confidence for the whole room, despite his insistence that it is “not as good as it used to be.”
Accompanied by her acoustic guitar, Emily led the session with classic songs like Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. With the help of the volunteers, the group even sang a challenging split harmony rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely, filling the room with layers of sound.
Throughout the hour, some members who had arrived withdrawn began to open up – tapping their feet, swaying gently, and lighting up with a smile.
Later in the session, volunteers handed out percussion instruments such as maracas, bells, and shakers. The room resonated with a joyful cacophony. For many participants, especially those who feel less able to speak, these moments provide a chance to be heard.
“Not everyone can always respond,” Susan told me, “but it is their thing, and that’s so important.”
Keen members are offered opportunities to sing solos or lead their favourite song, each given a brief but meaningful spotlight.
For family members, it provides an hour of shared joy, connection and relief. One carer told me that the happiness the person they support felt “lasts the whole day”.
Beyond the immediate pleasure of singing together, the facilitators keep an eye on members over time, noticing changes that may indicate someone needs additional support. The regular rhythm of the sessions creates routine and a support network within easy reach.
The group is working towards a showcase in April, where they will have the opportunity to sing together in front of an audience of their loved ones. For many, it will be a rare chance to share their voice publicly again.
By the end of the hour, the transformative power of the session is undeniable. Members leave smiling and singing, their laughter echoing down the halls.
All images by Dani Port.