MUSICIANS from Coronavirus Action Ilkley organised a synchronised event to play music outdoors at as many local care homes as possible on Make Music Day, with 14 musicians playing outside six care homes in the area.

The event on Sunday, June 21 was one of the few real world events and the volunteer musicians included: a flute duet; oboe and clarinet/banjo duet; a string quartet; a saxophone and trombone duet; solo accordion; solo trumpet; solo harp and a singer with her guitar.

The care home audiences really appreciated the music,with one care home activities coordinator commenting how much residents have appreciated having some musical entertainment in the past few week. “They love this bit of human contact with the outside world, even if it is at a distance, and gives them lots to talk about together,” they said.

Make Music Day is a worldwide grassroots festival celebrated in 125 countries on June 21 annually.

In the four years since it’s been in the UK it has become the nation’s biggest single-day music event, playing to an audience of 140,000 with more than 1000 free performances featuring almost 30,000 musicians in 2019.