Just for a favour, I recently performed at an old peoples home a solo piano set of pieces, various composers from baroque to Messiaen, about an hour and twenty minutes worth or so. If I do say so myself, considering the instrument was new to me, I did rather a good job of it and quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately, most of the audience didn't that much, I don't think it was quite what they were looking for. They just want something performed that they can sing along to, old war songs or show songs, that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend any volumes of works along these lines? Nothing too difficult as I can't put too much time into learning them and will be reading them. (my sight reading is not the best!)... TIA..

I'm wouldn't know what books to recommend, but maybe your local library is the best for this sort of thing?

I can't recommend any books, but I recently performed in an old people's home too. I know what you mean about the audience not seeming to enjoy things but I was lucky because I was playing the harp and they enjoyed it beacause it was different. Maybe try typing in what you want to google or musicroom might work?

I use 'The Forties' published by IMP at retired events - my sightreading isn't brilliant but I can cope with this ok. Many of the tunes are very popular and well known.

It's a shame about your recital as it sounds very interesting and you obviously put a lot of thought into it, but I think you are probably right that they would prefer tunes that are more well-known.

That's a shame that they did not relate to it - but that is the way with these types of 'recitals' - they rather simple music that they can relate to - some Frank Sinatra books and things like that go down a treat - old Beatles numbers also - songs from the shows. As lil_miz_music has suggested - google it.

Also - try the following:

http://www.abrahamespinosa.com/partituras2.htm

Scroll down on the right side - to fake books and then choose some pieces from these - takes ages to download - I hope you have broadband - but loads to choose from.

Good luck! And most of all Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!

A copy of the News Chronicle Song Book would be very ueful. There are always a few on ebay.

I wonder if they would prefer lighter stuff like movements from Mozart sonatas, or some of the short but often very lovely pieces in the AB's books like Short Romantic Pieces, More Romantic Pieces, Romantic Sketchbook.....I tend to use these when I play for wedding receptions........or even the odd light jazz book eg Mike Cornick or Martha Mier or James Rae (?)

Having said that, there must also be wartime books on the market if you try googling.......

CD's idea sounds like a good one - after all you might spark an interest in classical music, and if you mix it up with things that you know will go down well, then they are happy, and you're not playing all music that you may not be thrilled about playing for that long.

I've noticed this too - and am most impressed that Pianeer took the trouble to think about what the audience would enjoy.

I think "short light" classical would be enjoyed, if mixed with other fare.

Don't forget that an old people's home could easily span a generation in tastes - but perhaps the younger oldies are more mobile and likely to come to a concert than the oldest oldies?? Today's 97 year old was at high school at the height of the Roaring Twenties, but today's 77 year old and his or her older and younger brothers and sisters were schoolkids and young adults during the war.

My parents, if they were alive now, would enjoy hearing
* hymns no longer included in the modern hymnals
* anything from the "classic" musicals and shows they went to see when dating.
* Gilbert & Sullivan, which was standard amateur performance fare in their young days
* some of the more staid early pops such as Peter Paul & Mary
* Repertoire from people like Nana Mouskouri and Julie Andrews
* themes from 50s and 60s movies and TV shows, although TV was much less part of their lives than for people born postwar.

Assuming that there will be a fair proprortion of hearing-aids (and hearing-aid refuseniks ), ideally it would be great to know whether instruments like violin or high passages on flute are going to be uncomfortable to hear.

You could try asking the home staff if they think residents would enjoy chatting about their favorite old music - if you *do* have some old wartime books, musicals, or singalong books (often found in junk shops!), a glance through might jog some enjoyable memories, even if you only actually play one or two pieces.

Musicals: (* biggies for the 70-plus UK generation))
Oklahoma
*South Pacific
*My Fair Lady
West Side Story
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Oliver
Salad Days
Camelot - forogtten now, but popular in UK and the farflung cropstones of the empire
Funny Girl
*Fiddler on the Roof

I think this is an excellent response and would definitely be what I would have said too. I would just add that, sometimes, you can intersperse the type of thing they're expecting with a short, easy-listening piece of classical music and that's fine. Some still enjoy the "sing-along" type of event (certainly at the end, where they can join in).

Hope it goes better for you in the future but well done anyway with what you offered them.

Thanks very much for all your responses - there are some terrific suggestions here and I will be following them all up. I can certainly confirm chocolatedog's (and others) theory about some light classical pieces. Eg, :

Adagio from the Pathetique sonata, Beethoven.
Adagio from Mozart's sonata in F, K332.
Andante from Mozart's sonata in C, K545.

These were all met with the most enthusiastic, if a little polite applause.

And these:

La Colombe, Plainte Calme from Messiaen Preludes
The Snow is Dancing, Debussy

were met with the stoniest silence. Probably for the best that I left out Schoenberg's short piano pieces, which I really like! lol...

I'm surprised at the lack of enthusiasm for some short romantic pieces, eg, Liszt's Consolations (first 3) and En Reve: Nocturne, or Schumann's Dreaming but perhaps it's just because I'm familiar with these I expect others to be as well.

all ears - I think your assessment of the audience and their requirements is very accurate, I shall take your suggestions on board - the fact is, the home has had the piano donated recently by a local charity but I am the first to play anything on it, so it would be nice to give them something they like, but I am unfortunately too busy to spend hours learning a whole new repertoire.

Thanks again to everyone, your advice is much appreciated.

I used to play in an old peoples home/mental hospital very wednesday. I just played old hymns mostly and they sang along. It was quite hard to play anything harder as quite often they would come up behind me and touch me or just stand to close for comfort. I remember once, the front of the piano fell off onto my fingers which was very painful but managed to keep playing, not sure how though!

I did a concert an an old peoples home today,however my audience seemed to enjoy some of the more heavy classical music.I played them Poulenc toccata,Rachmaninoff opus 23 prelude in g minor ,moonlight sonata,some Einaudi and a couple of my own compositions.I do think that they would like some of the older hymn type music as well though-it does seem a problem trying to keep such a wide age range entertained including the staff!

Perhaps I just need to practice more then... lol..

I know this isn't directly relevant, but how PC is this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkXXBzczGCU

I think it's important to be as varied as you can - just because these people are all old doesn't mean they like the same things. Some are bound to enjoy shows, hymns, old favourites etc. but there may be some who prefer classical. Some of them won't tell you when they enjoy something, but it may mean a lot to them.

I knew a lady who was in a home (she was previously in our choir) & she got very frustrated with people always going & playing popular things, but never anything classical. She was dying to hear some "serious" music, although her taste didn't extend to Messiaen or Schoenberg (much as I love them, that might be going a bit too far!)