The History of Joyful Voices Chorus

The concept for the Joyful Voices Chorus came in 2017 when the music director of Salisbury Presbyterian Church (SPC), Dr. Mark Patterson, was in Minneapolis at a conference and attended a session featuring the Giving Voice Initiative program, which helps people with dementia and their care partners live better lives through singing together.

Patterson said he thought about accommodations his choir made when fellow members developed dementia over time, such as arranging their music folders and seating them next to a singer who could help them sing. It struck him that no matter how confused or distracted singers with dementia might be when they arrived for rehearsal, when the music started, they sang capably. The musical part of their brains remained strong. He brought the idea back to SPC at a serendipitous time, when the church’s foundation was looking to expand grants to community outreach programs. Patterson applied for and was awarded an impact grant to explore launching a community choir for people with dementia and their caregivers in Midlothian, Virginia.

He enlisted Joanne Sherman, director of the SPC music academy, and Laura Miles, the

church’s assistant music director, to pursue the project. They flew to Minnesota to meet with Giving Voice, which has been a leader in assisting others throughout the United States to establish dementia choruses in their home communities. The co-founders used the “Giving Voice Initiative” template to model a successful dementia chorus in Midlothian, Va.

Patterson became the first president of the nonprofit board, while Sherman became the founding artistic director and Miles, the group’s accompanist. They led a year-long effort to get the chorus off the ground, including planning, preparation, promoting community awareness of the chorus’ purpose, and a trial run that included some additional training for volunteers.

Joyful Voices officially launched as a community chorus with its first rehearsal on September 13, 2018. Its mission firmly established to defy dementia one song at a time: “We sing together to stimulate the mind, energize the body and elevate the spirit.”

Since its inception, Joyful Voices has grown to include about 75 members that include persons living with dementia, their caregivers, and volunteer singers who assist and support those dealing with dementia and their caregivers. The chorus performs two concerts per year, sing-alongs in the summer. In June 2026, Joyful Voices held its inaugural Joanne Sherman forum for caregivers and loved ones with dementia, featuring educational sessions and an open forum to share experiences and advice.

The chorus sings both old and new songs; members learn vocal technique and ensemble skills and share musical memories together. No vocal or choral experience is required, just a love of singing. Joyful Voices welcomes any person with memory loss or dementia who wants to make good music and good friends.

The Joyful Voices Chorus is committed to preserving the dignity of its participants and volunteers. It receives media clearance from all involved and communicates regularly with participants, volunteers, and sponsors through an e-mail newsletter. Joyful Voices maintains close ties with the Greater Richmond Alzheimer’s Association and is one of their Early Stages Support Group Activities. The non-profit currently has a 10-member Board of Trustees and an extensive network of volunteers. Additional members and volunteers are always welcome.

Additional information that formed the foundation for creating the Joyful Voices Chorus:

WHY are music and a choral experience so important to those living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia?

• Music-related memory is stored in an area of the brain that is not affected until the very late-stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

  
  

• Singing helps maintain and simulate cognitive growth. It promotes relaxation as well as feelings of emotional and social well-being. It inspires a sense of self confidence.

  
  

• Caregivers who participate also report a feeling of improved well-being and a reduction in depression and emotional stress.

  
  

• A focus on stretching, movement, posture, and good singer’s breath support can offer improved energy, less stress and greater confidence.

  
  

• Rehearsals offer an inclusive, non-judgmental, and supportive atmosphere where

  singers, caregivers and volunteers are all important contributors to the team effort.

• Persons living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are constantly being told what they no longer can do. Joyful Voices tells them and SHOWS them what they CAN do!

• The Joyful Voices Chorus uses the power of singing to move people with memory loss and their care partners to rediscover themselves, make friends, laugh together, and contribute to their community.