Music therapy groups for people living with dementia will start up again this October and there are spaces available for interested parties to attend a no-obligation taster session.

Together in Sound is a free music therapy project for people living with dementia and their companions which has been running in Saffron Walden since 2017.

It is run by Saffron Hall Trust, and Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

The programme is open to anyone with a diagnosis of dementia to attend alongside a carer or companion.

Applications are open for interested participants who will be invited to attend a taster session on Friday, September 30 at the Salvation Army Hall on Abbey Lane, Saffron Walden.

Sessions will then run for 10 weeks from October 7, taking place in the Salvation Army Hall.

This October also marks the beginning of the new Together in Sound groups in Braintree, after a successful taster term over the summer.

Braintree Together in Sound groups will run on Thursdays for 10 weeks from October 6, taking place in Braintree Museum, Essex.

Together in Sound aims to bring the power of music to those living with dementia and their companions.

It focuses on joint music-making and listening with a goal of supporting communication, relationships, and increasing quality of life through a collaborative group process.

Russell Smith, from Quendon, and his wife Brenda, who lives with dementia, enjoyed attending Together in Sound in Saffron Walden for several years.

Russell said: “What I’ve witnessed at these sessions is quite remarkable; people that appear to have lost all interest in life, come to life.

"This is the impact music can have and it appears to me that special place in the brain is awakened by certain pieces of music. To witness a loved one reliving past memories through music is such an uplifting experience.”

Another member of an established Together in Sound group in Saffron Walden said: “Thank you for all the support you give us, the opportunities for friendship, enjoying music and singing.”

If you know someone who might benefit from joining the group, Saffron Hall and Braintree District Museum are currently looking for new members to join as of October 2022.

Absolutely no musical experience is required to take part, and Together in Sound is free to attend.

For more information and to apply to take part visit www.saffronhall.com/togetherinsound or call Katie on 01799 588538.

The taster sessions are on September 29 in Braintree and September 30 in Saffron Walden.

Saffron Hall Trust is an arts and education charity based at Saffron Hall.