Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

While the world's oldest rock band, The Zimmers, have recently scored their first chart hit, some of Downham Market's older residents have been taking their turn on the stage, sharing the limelight with young budding dancers and musicians.

The show, called Falling About, took place at Downham Market town hall and was the result of two and a half days of workshops, put together by Norfolk Music Works and London's Green Candle Dance Company to try to close the generation gap.

Closing moments of the town hall show

Former private music teacher Marjorie Draper, 91, has been confined to a wheelchair for the last six months after injuring herself falling over.

She helped shape the performance by telling the young people - aged 10 upwards - what it was like getting older and starred in the final piece.

The 10 young aspiring performers spoke to Marjorie when they visited Ashville House Residential Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to talk to elderly people to research their three dance and music sequences, which were produced from scratch.

Sound and vision

The group had the chance to work alongside professional musicians and try their hand at playing new instruments as they arranged the soundtrack for the performance.

While the sounds were being honed over a day and a half of rehearsals, the young performers were joined by three older people to practise their dance steps.

Together - along with Marjorie - the troupe performed Falling About in front of an audience of excited parents, grandparents, residents from Ashville House and local dignitaries to a huge round of applause.

The project took around a year to come together - and followed on from Norfolk Music Works' partnership with Ashville House, which started in 2004. This has involved local high school pupils visiting the home's residents to take part in musical performances.