The Threshold Choir: Singing in Service to Others

Why do we sing?  Partly because it just feels good to express beauty and artistry through our God-given talent.  And maybe there’s something even more fundamental going on, maybe making or at least appreciating music goes to the heart of what it means to be human.

So why do we sing in a chorus?  Of course, there’s the camaraderie and the appreciation of harmony and the satisfaction of creating pleasing sounds through joint effort.  But for most of us, it wouldn’t mean nearly as much without an audience.  Connecting with listeners on an emotional level is one of the great satisfactions of singing in a chorus.

But what if our choral singing was meeting a profound need of our listeners, a need for comfort, and reassurance, and relief from pain, and maybe even healing?  That would be something else.

And that something else is the mission of a very different kind of choir, the Threshold Choir.  It was initially the project of one woman, Kate Munger, who realized that singing at the bedside of those who were seriously ill or even dying could be a transformative experience, not only for the patient, but for family, caregivers, and the singers themselves.  She gathered the first Threshold Choir in El Cerrito, CA in 2000, and today there are 100 chapters worldwide, populated almost exclusively by women, including three chapters in the greater Sacramento area:  Davis, Woodland, and Placerville.  Their stated goal is “to bring ease and comfort to those at the thresholds of living and dying.”

These choirs rehearse biweekly, working on a fairly standard repertoire, some of which has been composed by the members themselves.  The songs are not religious, but they are nonetheless spiritual, and their only objective is to bring peace and comfort through gentle singing in harmony.  When they are invited to sing at a bedside, it is generally two to four singers, and the session typically runs about 20 minutes.  You can get the full picture in the Threshold Choir website at www.thresholdchoir.org.

There will be a special event tomorrow, Saturday, July 28, 2012 from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m.  It will feature Kate Munger conducting a day of singing for women who want to know more about the Threshold Choir concept.  It is sponsored by the Davis Threshold Choir in the hope that a new choir might be formed to help meet the needs of the greater Sacramento area.  The event will be held at the Fair Oaks United Methodist Church (9849 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Fair Oaks), and if you’re reading this in time, you can inquire by calling Karen at 209/296-7354.  There is no charge for the event (though donations are always welcome), and a light lunch will be provided. 

If you’re a woman who is reading this after July 28 and whose heart is touched by this idea, it’s not too late to follow up.  Make the phone call, and find out the latest on chapter formation.  Or join one of the existing chapters:  their information is in the Audition Directory of the Sacramento Choral Calendar at this link:  www.sacchoralcalendar.com/Auditions.htm.  There you can find information on the rehearsal times of each choir, along with their contact information.