The memory robbing disease, Alzheimer’s, will be center stage and under a spotlight on Sunday afternoon as the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids, directed by Mark Webb, and the Grand Rapids Women's Chorus, directed by Lori Tennenhouse, present "Alzheimer’s Stories" by Robert Cohen -- a benefit concert with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association.
This brand new musical piece for orchestra, chorus, and soloist is broken into three distinct cycles: "The Numbers," "The Stories," and "The Caregivers."
The first movement, "The Numbers," addresses the statistics, beginning with the first case of Alzheimer’s diagnosed in 1901. Fast-forward to 2009 where currently one in 85 people, at a total of 26 million worldwide, are afflicted with this disease.
The second movement, "The Stories,” takes you through the perspective of the person suffering the disease, sometimes seriously, and sometimes with a more lighthearted handling of this sensitive material.
"The Caregivers” is the final movement and a reminder, according to Tennenhouse, that, "love and music are the last things to go."
Excerpts from the production I’m Still Here by Canadian playwright Vrenia Ivonoffsky will also be performed at this special concert event. This selection will star and be directed by Jean Reed Bahle -- one of the city of Grand Rapids’ greatest actors -- and feature Marnie MacAdam, Robert Potts, and David Ellens.
Alzheimer's will continue to impact our lives for some time. And while this new musical program may be considered by some to be dense or potentially oft-putting due to the seriousness of the subject matter, there is a brightness in sharing these stories with an audience that one is not alone. For when we gather together, we are opening ourselves to the exploration that we can once again, as a community, come together to commit to doing the work of building connections.
We may, with time, community and care, find a cure someday. It is our hope.
Admission: $20 adults, $15 seniors, and $10 students.
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