A song cycle for soprano, baritone, narrator & pianist.

Love & compassion, discord & resolution, for a couple dealing with dementia.

A mini-dramatic work setting poems from the collection "Closing Time at the King's Head".

Poems: KARIN DE NOVELLIS Music: ROSS FIDDES
Soprano: DANIELLA SICARI Baritone: CHRISTOPHER ALLAN
Narrator: GHILLIAN SULLIVAN Pianist: TONYA LEMOH

Director: GHILLIAN SULLIVAN

There is never just one person living with dementia; there are always at least two.

A loving wife cared for her husband in their home for six years until he died of dementia surrounded by his family.

This is a true story. It happened to my friend Karin De Novellis.

Karin wrote a collection of poems about her experience, the confusing feelings, sadness and losses both she and her husband experienced while living with dementia.

Newcastle composer Ross Fiddes has set a selection of them to music in a song cycle called

CLOSING TIME

This dramatised collection of poems shows that caring can occur with compassion, love and even joy, making the journey easier and better for all concerned.

In our culture we don't customarily care for our aged in the home.

Wouldn't we all want to stay somewhere familiar and have our family around us as we lose our independence?

It is something for us to think about and challenge.

Closing Time’s premier performance is on

Sat Sept 9th at 7.30pm

in Christ Church Cathedral

Newcastle.

All profits from sales of the book of Karin’s poems go to Dementia Charities.

Ghillian Sullivan

Performance Director & Narrator