Singing Together! Really, this was the first time for our full membership to sing together since Aureole's inception, as we have been a lockdown choir from the start.

Our members came together to film and sing in October, in all their festive gear. Rumour has it, some members' Christmas decs have already been up for months!

We are raising money for NSPCC Jersey this December, and for our own programme 'Monday Melodies'. NSPCC do an amazing job looking out for vulnerable children and providing essential protection, safety, education and so many other essential services for children in need. We were proud to be selected by them as THE virtual choir from the British Isles to perform at their 'Merry Little Christmas' concert in London!

Our Monday Melodies programme is up and running too. Between July and December we have made 18 visits to care homes, and they have loved it. With strict Covid protocols, testing, singing in masks etc, we have been able to continue visits right up to this festive season. We and our Care Homes are determined to continue!

Some of the feedback:

The residents absolutely love you and desperately need the enjoyment. I would like to go ahead even if it means a greater distance and all the doors and windows open.

'You and your choir were fantastic, the residents really enjoyed you being here! They were talking about it for the rest of the day.'

'When you came down to the (dementia) unit, one of our residents who was in a large wheelchair, was smiling, trying to sing, and clapping. Usually he finds it hard to do things like this, so it was really great to see his reaction. The two ladies sitting to the right of your group had their spirits lifted through the rest of the day.'

Our singers are all volunteers. We are struggling to meet the demand of the care homes now, and want to double our efforts, sending multiple teams out on a Monday morning, but we do need help now and we will need administrative support and to meet costs of running the programme. We also want to be able to pay local professional musicians who have been so hard hit in the pandemic, for their services, so that we can provide a really rich experience for more of our elderly care home residents who have suffered so much isolation in the last two years.