PAAMOA Choir at the Elderly Day Care Centre
by Angela Sargent
‘Twas the time before Christmas, when the choir stood serene, I stepped inside almost unseen. Then ‘Silent Night’ softly soothed tangled nerves, and shoulders relaxed as good food was served.
Many of the ladies and gentlemen gently sighed as they attended Waterport Elderly Day Care Centre on Monday 22nd December. As the ancient strains played, round their twinkling novelty reindeer antlers, the facility users seemed mesmerised. The staff too, lined up at the side, nodding in approval, their smiles spreading wide. Gentle music continued the mood, imbued with the tenderness of the lullaby La Nanita Nana. An atmosphere so skillfully built by the Paamoa Choir. Led by their talented directors, Cathy Batchelor, Pam Honeyman, and May Clinton, they delivered a fourth Christmas show, each one a resounding success.
Gilda Fa stood watching over all, emanating calm from long practice providing a hot meal and entertainment. Another “dinner and a show,” another testament to the almost twenty years she has poured into managing the Elderly Day Care project. As she surveyed the large room where helpers flitted to and from the tables, topping up a drink here, or serving food there, she must have thought back to Christmases past. This purpose built facility was opened in 2014. Before then she would use different centres throughout the community. With Gilda being the only employed staff member at that time, the organisation was very dependent on their volunteers. Now the centre sees over 100 people during the course of each week, many volunteers still offering their valuable time and support to the service users and staff.
The Paamoa Choir directors are always keen to have their hosts bring talented members of the audience forward to take part in the concert, and this event was no different. After a quiet word from Pam Honeyman, Gilda took the microphone to announce the next act. The spotlight turned on Elsie Ochello who belted out Niña Pastori’s festive flamenco‑rooted villancico ‘Palillos y Panderos’ with remarkable force and joy. It is the most‑played villancico in Spain this Christmas, according to ‘Diario de Jerez’. Elsie had the backing of several of the Day Care Centre’s younger staff volunteers, including Flor, Lily and Julie. They provided the high‑energy physicality of the performance, with hand actions such as clapping and thigh slapping, the choir joining in too. These actions transform the music from something for the audience to listen to, into an interactive experience. The energy, movement, and communal participation are a huge part of why villancicos are surging back into popularity. With this collaborative moment, when we focused on Elsie’s talent and we all shared in a full‑blown cultural phenomenon from across the border, Paamoa Choir has taken another step in strengthening its credentials as a truly intergenerational choir.
Drawing their first year to a close like this, the Paamoa Choir has also proven they can perform in a wide range of settings. From fun and informal gatherings, like those in St. Paul’s School and Mt. Alvernia where Paamoa Choir members choose their own seasonally themed outfit, sporting Santa hats or Christmas jumpers, to the carefully choreographed candlelit event in the historic Holy Trinity Cathedral; dress code formal black, adorned with a Poinsettia. Could it get better? We can’t wait to see and hear their next mix in 2026.
