Kindness you can hear

In the aftermath of the 2017 terrorist attack in Manchester, United Kingdom, something unexpected happened. The community gathered to honour the dead with a spontaneous rendition of Don’t Look Back in Anger by the local band Oasis. When grief renders words inadequate, music can sometimes provide an outlet for the emotions associated with death and dying. Suzanne Miller has been singing for those near death for the last three years. She is part of a threshold choir in Nelson, B.C. The threshold choir provides comfort to those at the thresholds of living and dying. With gentle voices and songs, the singers provide a calm and kind presence at the bedside of those who are near death. Over the years, Suzanne has found this singing to be soothing and reassuring to clients, family, and caregivers alike. "People are drawn to the threshold choir for many reasons. Some experience 'the shiver' when hearing about the choir’s purpose or their music. Others join after caring for a dying person and realizing how humming, singing, or playing music is part of how we soothe each other," says Suzanne. The bedside singers come from all walks of life. “A few of us are musicians; most are not,” says Suzanne. "We learn to carry our parts and blend our voices, some by reading music and others learning solely by ear. Some have a religious or spiritual background, while others are staunch atheists. Many have focused on home-based work and volunteering and have a connection to hospice work. "As threshold choir singers, the most important things we share are a repertoire of beautiful, meaningful, and soothing songs and a desire to provide comfort and peace at a significant and challenging stage of life.”