Threshold Singers of Washington DC
Our group was profiled on a segment of PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.
Singing at Bedsides
The mission of Threshold Choir singers around the world is to offer our voices at tender times. We honor all spiritual paths and have no religious affiliation. The Threshold Singers of Washington DC welcome all who share our mission of offering kindness through a cappella singing at the bedside of hospice patients. We offer our songs as a gift of love, life, and heart; there is never a charge. We sing when invited for people moving through a significant time of passage, at bedsides and homes in small groups to offer comfort and compassion.
Song Baths
We also have events that are open to the public. Participants can choose to listen, sing, or lie in a reclining chair and receive a “song bath” in which the energy of the song is focused on them. Through our gentle songs, we hope to create moments of grace and community for ourselves and all who join us.
Sing With Us
We do not require auditions, knowledge of musical notation, or previous voice training. Members are asked to:
- Be able to carry a tune
- Be able to hold your own part (or sincerely want to learn to) while others sing harmony
- Strive to sing softly and blend your voice with others
- Strive to communicate kindness with your voice
- Be willing to use self-monitoring and accept peer feedback as we work together to create the sweetest, most blended, and graceful sound
Essential to the growth of our group are regularly scheduled rehearsals where we build our repertoire of songs, reflect on the service we provide, and get to know one another. Since this is not a performance choir, we seek to sing quietly together, carefully listening to one another as we blend our voices. We will discuss the sensitivities of working with people at or near the end of life as well as what may be needed in the presence of their families and loved ones. We work on developing a soothing voice and balancing our songs. At rehearsal, members will have the opportunity to rest on a reclining chair in the center of our circle and experience being sung to by others. It is a safe and comfortable setting where singers can experience what it is like to be nurtured. As each singer becomes ready, they will begin singing at the bedside with the support of experienced singers.
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The Threshold Singers of Washington DC sing regularly at hospices and other locations in the greater Washington DC area. Our rehearsals are held in Tenleytown on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month from 7 to 9 p.m. The location is near the Tenleytown-AU metro stop. There is ample on-street and off-street parking. Contact us by email for information on our new member orientations.