Christmas Caledonia – Come and Sing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Christmas Caledonia – Come and Sing right for me?
The event will live-streamed on Zoom, so you can join in from home. We aim to make the occasion as enjoyable as possible for people living with dementia.
Here are some of the details of the event, to help you decide if it is right for you, your family or friends.
If you have any other questions, please email us at singing@luminatescotland.org or telephone 0131 668 8066.
What is Christmas Caledonia – Come and Sing?
Christmas Caledonia is an online festive singing event. You can watch and join in with the singing in your home, using your computer or other online device. The singing will be led by 5 singing group leaders from the Dementia Inclusive Singing Network, accompanied by a live band.
The atmosphere will be joyous, relaxed and patient.
You can choose whether you’d like to join in with the singing, or you can just watch and listen. Everyone’s participation will be celebrated.
What songs will we sing?
We will be singing well-loved Scottish songs and familiar Christmas songs from the sacred and secular traditions.
Song words will be available to download from the Dementia Inclusive Singing Network website in advance of the event.
What should I wear and have to hand?
You don’t have to wear anything special or bring anything particular, but you might want to think about some ways to make the afternoon feel special. Some of our suggestions are below.
You might want to wear something festive or decorate your Zoom room for the occasion.
If you have any bells, kazoos, or other percussion instruments, you might want to have them to hand to join in on some of the songs.
We will have a Christmas toast during the event. This will be a moment to say “cheers” to everyone who is online, so please have a drink of your choice ready and close by to join in.
How long will the event last?
This event will last around one hour and fifteen minutes, but you don’t have to stay to the end.
What will happen at Christmas Caledonia – Come and Sing?
You will join the event online. Instructions on how to join are below.
Choir leader Stephen Deazley will welcome everyone and each song will be introduced by a singing group leader from the Dementia Inclusive Singing Network.
You will be able to sing along with the live band and singing leaders for every song, so you won’t feel like you’re singing on your own. You will be encouraged to sing along in your home, but your microphone will be muted so nobody else at the event will hear you.
As well as singing, we will show some short films between songs. We will show a new filmpoem which has been made especially for this occasion by poet Ron Coleman, who is well-known as the Demented Poet. Another film will show the Dolphin Arts project in Ullapool, who have made the set designs for the event. There will also be some filmed Christmas messages from Network members.
You will be able to see captions on your screen if you want to, so you can read what everyone is saying and see the song words on your screen. You can also print out the song words if you prefer. They will become available to download from the Dementia Inclusive Singing Network website close to the day of the event on the ‘Guides’ page, which is at this link: https://singing.luminatescotland.org/running-a-choir-or-group/.
How do I join the event?
You will be able to join the online event by using the video-conferencing platform Zoom.
Using Zoom
Zoom will allow you to take part in the event as it is happening, and you will be able to see others attending the event online. You will also be able to type messages that can be seen by other people who are there.
Steps and information
- You should book one place per device, no matter how many people are using that device to join in. When you book, you will receive an email confirming your booking and giving you a link to click on. Just before the event is due to start, you should click on this link. You will then be asked to enter the password that is also in your email.
- Alternatively, if you already have the Zoom app on your computer or device, when the event is due to start, you can go to the homepage and click ‘Join a meeting’. You then enter the Meeting ID that is included in your email, plus the password when you are asked to
- Once the online event opens on Zoom, click the ‘Allow’ screen. You will enter a ‘waiting room’ until the event start time. This means that you will see a screen that says that you will be admitted to the event soon. Don’t worry if you are held there for a few minutes – if a lot of people try to join at the same time it can take a few minutes to admit everyone.
- Zoom may also ask you to use your computer audio. Click ‘Yes’ to this. We will mute your microphone for most of the event.
- You can choose to keep your camera off if you would rather that other people attending the event don’t see you.
- Settings – You can use speaker or gallery view, whichever suits you best. However, we recommend you use speaker view to see the best camera shots at all times.
- During the event, you can share written messages with the Luminate team if you have any questions or need help. You will see a speech bubble on your screen, and if you click on it this will open the ‘Chat’ function which is the message tool. The speech bubble may be in a different place depending on your device. For example, on a computer you are likely to find it at the bottom of the screen, and on a tablet you may find it at the top. When you click on the bubble, a box will appear and you can type in your message and choose who you send it to. The ‘chat’ also lets you send a message to everyone attending the event if you would like to, perhaps to say hello.
- You can leave the event at any time, by clicking on the red ‘leave button’.
Contact Us
Dementia Inclusive Singing Network
Web: singing.luminatescotland.org
Email: singing@luminatescotland.org
Phone: 0131 668 8066