A photographic love-letter to two choirs who sing against the fade-out

I’ve spent most of my life singing my heart out in choirs. So when Past Times Community Choir (Naas) and Voices of Spring (Kildare) invited me to photograph their singers back in 2017—many of whom live with Alzheimer’s or dementia, I didn't hesitate.

We wanted to make sure every singer was seen, and that their time in the choir would not slip by undocumented. I’ve been following their journey ever since and these photos are precious to me.

Meeting the choirs

Past Times and Voices of Spring are sister community choirs supported by Kildare County Council Arts Service. They rehearse weekly in McAuley Place, Naas, and The Mill Community Centre, Celbridge, drawing 70-plus singers and carers.

They perform everywhere from the Moat Theatre to Newbridge Town Hall—they lifted the roof with a Christmas concert titled A Ray of Hope. The Past Times even made an appearance on RTÉ Nationwide, proving that good news can still make prime-time.

Past Times Community Choir and Voices of Spring combined forces to mark The Bealtaine Festival back in 2023. Musical director Sadhbh O’Sullivan and John O’Neill on the piano.

Voices of Spring with singer/songwriter Lisa Loughrey at Christ Church, Celbridge at Bealtaine Festival, 2019. Directed by Sharon Murphy and Sadhbh O’Sullivan.

A decade in song — and a Eurovision encore

This May marked ten years since Past Times first raised a tentative chord in Naas Library. They celebrated the milestone with a lunchtime concert in the Moat Theatre, joined by none other than Charlie McGettigan—yes, the Eurovision legend who won 1994 with Rock ’n’ Roll Kids.

Charlie arrived with his guitar slung over one shoulder and a pocketful of stories; by the first chorus the choir and audience had closed in around him, humming as one.

Charlie McGettigan holding the room with one of his stories before striking the first chord.

Charlie McGettigan and Past Times Choir performing together. Musical director Eric Hanlon.

Why music lingers when memory slips

Neuroscientists have a phrase for what the choirs demonstrate every week: “musical memory is the last thing we forget.” Functional-MRI studies show that the brain areas handling long-loved songs are relatively spared by Alzheimer’s pathology, allowing familiar melodies to light up neural pathways long after other memories have dimmed. That’s why someone who struggles to remember a daughter’s name can still nail the harmonies of Que Sera, Sera—and why choirs like these are far more than a hobby; they’re rehab for the soul.

Keep the Song Alive

I personally think that every singer deserves a face to go with their voice. Think of it as Facebook before the ads: a quick roll‑call of who’s standing beside you—and a way to remember them when they’re not. Photographing Past Times Community Choir, Voices of Spring, the Dublin Male Voice Choir, the Naas na Rí Singers and other choirs, keeps proving the point.

Music outlasts so much and if a photograph can hold even a sliver of that magic then I’ll count my clicks blessed and keep showing up with camera (and choir folder) in hand.