The Threshold Choir

      
      Don’t you just find the commitment some people have to help others simply breath-taking? When I first heard about the threshold choir I was deeply moved. When I looked at their website I cried with gratitude that people from all around the world were gathering in small groups and using their singing talents to help people struggling with life or dying through singing to them.

Here is what they say -

“Our goal is to bring ease and comfort to those at the thresholds of living and dying. A calm and focused presence at the bedside, with gentle voices, simple songs, and sincere kindness, can be soothing and reassuring to clients, family, and caregivers alike.

When we are invited to a bedside, we visit in groups of two to four singers. We invite families and caregivers to join us in song or to participate by listening. We choose songs to respond to the client's musical taste, spiritual direction, and current receptivity. Many of the songs we offer are composed by Threshold Choir members specifically to communicate ease, comfort, and presence. Because our songs are not religiously oriented, our singing is appropriate for those who are deeply spiritual, whether religious or not.

A session typically lasts about 20 minutes; if there appears to be benefit, we might sing longer.  Using soft, lullaby voices, we blend in harmony or sometimes in unison, if that provides the most comfort. We offer our singing as gentle blessings, not as entertainment, and we are honoured when a client falls asleep as we are singing.  Most of our songs are very short, so their repetition is conducive to rest and comfort.

  

Families have said that our presence helps them to “be” with their loved one after the “doing” is done.  Often they will continue to sing for their loved one after we have departed.

The service is our gift; there is no charge. www.thresholdchoir.org 

Inspirational Organisation