Music Matters Inclusive Community Choirs: Newsletter –September 2015

Our Debut Album – NOW Available Online!

The following 3 choirs return to rehearsals the week starting Monday 7th September!

Mondays 11.45 AM - 1.00 PM: Work Options/ St Michael's House, 16-22 Green St, Dublin 7

Wednesdays 2.00 - 3.00 PM: St John of God Carmona Services, Glenageary, Co Dublin

Wednesdays 6.00 - 8.00 PM: MACRO Community Resource Centre, 1 Green St, Dublin 7

These choirs are open to anyone aged 16+ regardless of previous choral experience, (dis)ability, language or social background. Volunteers also welcome! Choirs for older people, particularly those affected by dementia or memory loss

Wednesdays 11.00 AM – 12.30 PM: Memory Lane, St Agnes’ Community Centre for Music & Arts, Crumlin, Dublin 12 (Rehearsals resume 9th September)

Thursdays 11.00 AM – 12.30 PM: Musical Memories, Deansgrange Library, Clonkeen Rd, Dublin 18

Saturdays 11.00 AM – 12.30 PM: Musical Memories, St Raphaela’s Convent, Stillorgan

Number of places available – family members, friends, neighbours and carers welcome to stay for rehearsals. New volunteers welcome!

Our debut album - Music Matters: Celebrating 140 Characters - is now available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Amazon Music We launched this album almost 1 year ago at Axis Ballymun, with some very generous funding from the Community & Social Development Service and Arts Office, of Dublin City Council As the title suggests, our album features 140 Characters - aged from 9-90 years, from our Work Options/ St Michael's House Choir, MACRO Community Resource Centre Choir, Musical Memories Choirs and also the Ossia Youth Choir and Forget-Me-Nots Choir With original compositions, traditional tunes and contemporary chart-toppers - Music Matters: Celebrating 140 Characters - is bound to be the most eclectic album you have ever heard! Celebrate with Us & download our album today!!

Inclusive Youth Choir for children & teenagers (age 8-14) starting at The Grainstore, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 on Thursday 10th September, 4.30 PM – 5.30 PM. More info phone/text Cathleen on 087-7686728 or email: cathleenmcsharry@hotmail.com

Singing Amach Choir for ALL women (including those who identify as LGBTQ, along with their friends, families, partners, and allies of ALL ages). Tuesdays, 7.00 – 8.45 PM, Outhouse, Capel St, Dublin 1. This choir is run in partnership with Running Amach

Transgender Community Choir Open to anyone who identifies as Trans*, Gender-fluid, non-binary. We hope to run rehearsals in September – for more info, email: grainne@musicmatters.ie. Thanks to TENI and Mel Duffy and Breege Casey from the School of Nursing & Human Sciences in DCU for their support

Sponsor Sabrina’s 100 Km Cycle for Music Matters! Sabrina, one of our amazing volunteers, will cycle 100 Km during the Great Dublin Bike Ride to raise much needed funds for Music Matters. The Great Dublin Bike Ride takes place on Sunday 13th September 2015. We can give details for bank transfer, PayPal, cheque, cash....show your support for cycling Sabrina!

Regular updates will be posted on the "Sponsor Sabrina's 100 Km Cycle for Music Matters" Facebook page. All monies raised will go directly to the costs of running Music Matters' inclusive community choirs. Thank you Sabrina!

“Every Little Helps” – Tesco Parnell St Supports Music Matters

Music Matters is very excited to announce that we were presented with a cheque worth €373.49 from Tesco in Parnell St, Dublin 1

Elaine had nominated our MACRO Community Resource Centre Choir and Work Options/ St Michael's House Choir (both based in nearby Green St) for the Tesco Community Fund We would like to say a Big THANK YOU to Tesco in Parnell St for choosing Music Matters and to all customers who voted for us with their Blue Tokens over the past few weeks - this cheque will make such a vital difference to us

YOU can also nominate Music Matters at your local Tesco - we have choirs based ALL over Dublin which need your support! Pick up a nomination form in store or download and print one from here (link to PDF document) - if you need any further info about our choirs, email us: info@musicmatters.ie

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in association with Music Matters presents ...

The Big Sing – “Together We Are DLR!” To celebrate The Festival of Inclusion and the 50th Anniversary of "The Sound of Music", come join us for a fantastic FREE fun event for ALL the family! DATE: Sunday 11th October 2015: 2-4 PM VENUE: Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre, Marine Rd, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

We are looking for individual singers, choirs, music groups and schools, to register in advance of this event. We will let you know the songs & music to be learned…we will even provide you with sheet music & lyric sheets! For more info, or to register, please contact: Gráinne O'Grady, Musical Director grainne@musicmatters.ie See also: http://www.dlrcoco.ie/festivalofinclusion http://www.dlrevents.ie/