Many couples have a special song that reminds them of a significant event or time in their relationship, and for Bundaberg’s Doris Chandler that song is Danny Boy.
The song reminds Doris Chandler at Meileine Aged Care in Bundaberg of when her fiance Leslie returned from war.
As part of a web series launched by Anglicare Southern Queensland, the 93-year-old was able to reconnect with the song when staff organised performer Emma Birdsall to sing Danny Boy for Doris through a zoom meeting.
In the video, Doris said her husband would often serenade her and that the song had a special meaning, bringing back happy and sad memories.
“My husband used to sing it to me,” Doris said
“He had a nice tenor voice and when he had a couple of drinks in him, he’d sing Danny Boy to me.
“It made me feel lovely when we was serenading me. It was good … we’d have a good laugh about it after.”
Doris was born in Tasmania and moved to Bundaberg when she was 17, where she and Leslie raised three children.
She was living independently up until two years ago, and now resides at Meilene Aged Care with her good friend Charlotte where she enjoys reading the newspaper, playing bingo, card games and taking walks in the rose garden.
At 93 Doris still believes that music makes the world go round.
“It’slLovely to have a bit of music. It’s awful to be quiet all the time and It’d be a sad old world without it.”
The Launched By Request: A Play List Of Memories is part of an eight part web series by Anglicare Southern Queensland.
A spokesperson from Anglicare Southern Queensland said the series features some of Queensland’s aged care residents sharing their life stories connected to their favourite song.
“We created By Request because we wanted to remind everyone that aged care residents are more than their old age, they are vital, important elders in our communities and this series pays tribute to their lives, love and memories and shines brightly during a really dark time for all of us,” the spokesperson said.
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