Residents, relatives and team members at Brookwater House Care Home in Enfield enjoyed an unforgettable morning when acclaimed musicians arrived for a surprise private performance.
Singer Natalie Williams visited the Oakthorpe Road care home to surprise her mother, resident Gizzy Williams, before performing alongside mezzo-soprano Vanessa Heine and James Pearson, Artistic Director of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.
The trio rarely perform together, making the impromptu concert a particularly special moment for residents and families.
Gizzy said: “It was a surprise for me as I was having a nap! I’m so very proud of Natalie and thankful that she came in to surprise me with her friends. I know she’s very busy, so it was very nice of her to come in and entertain us all.”
The Bistro at Brookwater House quickly filled with residents, relatives and team members as the performers shared a mix of jazz and classical music.
Visitor David Gleeson said: “It’s not given to the residents of many care homes to have this calibre of free entertainment. It was just fantastic! Coming downstairs and finding this happening made my day, and I don’t even live here!”
For resident Robert O’Dell, who grew up in California and has a lifelong love of jazz and Gershwin, the morning felt especially personal. He described the performance as “absolutely spectacular”, saying it transported him back to the music of his youth.
Fellow resident Jorid Weiss added: “That performance was absolutely wonderful, very, very wonderful.”
Natalie, who holds a residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, said: “It is always a joy to perform at Brookwater House and I thought it would be nice to bring my friends along to surprise mum and the other residents.”
Home Manager Daniela Danciulescu said the performance was a moving example of how music can bring people together.
Daniela said: “To see Gizzy enjoying her daughter’s music alongside her friends and neighbours was incredibly moving. It’s the kind of moment that reminds us why we do what we do.”
Brookwater House Care Home in Enfield provides residential, nursing, dementia and respite care in a luxury setting, with a varied lifestyle and wellbeing programme shaped around residents’ interests, memories and personal connections.
