Creating a song for nature with Sound Sanctuary

As part of UK Mental Health Awareness Week, we wanted to share a story from Sound Sanctuary, RPO Resound’s flagship community programme in Brent that uses music to support mental wellbeing.  

At a Sound Sanctuary session at Ashford Place Community Centre on Thursday 7 May, Brent locals devised a piece of music about bees to celebrate David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. Led by workshop leader Sigrún Sævarsdóttir-Griffiths and accompanied by RPO musicians Gerald Kirby, Liz Varlow and Roberto Sorrentino, participants improvised on instruments, came up with song lyrics, and sang and played along in a final performance at the end of the session.  

Brainstorming about a potential song theme, a conversation about favourite pastimes quickly identified the transformative and positive impact of spending time in nature. Many attendees reflected on spending time in their gardens or on their balconies as a way to decompress or be mindful.  

To be a Bee was borne of one participant sharing her poetry with the group, which flowered into a full song with a buzzing intro and fading outro as the bee flies off into the distance. Another group member suggested dedicating the piece to David Attenborough, who turned 100 years old the following day, to celebrate his tireless dedication to protecting vital wildlife like bees.

Sound Sanctuary sessions are free to attend and open to any Brent resident who is experiencing mental health challenges. Sound Sanctuary is designed to supplement and support existing mental health provision, complement existing treatments and therapies, and strategically expand the reach of mental health support. Its aim is to create connections, build trust, and bring joy to local people.