Ten years ago, something special and unique began on Bowen Island. It all started with Angie Bosworth, a long time Islander, who had heard about the practice of Threshold Singing from her sister in the United States.
Angie brought the idea of starting a Threshold Choir here on Bowen to a handful of us and we were intrigued. But to begin with, what is a Threshold Choir?
In 1990, in California, singer and composer Kate Munger was at her friend’s bedside. He was dying of HIV/AIDS and Kate was afraid and nervous and not quite sure how to comfort him. So she did what she does best. She sang to him for two-and-a-half hours.
It was in these moments when she realized the power and presence of song at a loved one’s bedside. From that experience, Kate went on to gather some like-minded women and on March 21 - the Spring Equinox - of 2000, the first Threshold Choir was formed at the home of a friend of Kate’s in El Cerritos, California.
Fast forward to 2012 when Angie brought the concept of Threshold Singing to a handful of us on Bowen. We were intrigued but we needed someone with the musical skills and chops to lead us.
Enter our beloved leader Shasta Martinuk, who has now moved off-island but was with us for almost a decade. By gathering at Shasta’s yurt twice a month, we learned some of the vast repertoire of the Threshold Choir.
These are beautiful songs, mostly written and sung in three part harmony, at the bedside of those who are ill, or dying, or lonely, or simply in need of a “songbath.” We like to make it crystal clear that you do not need to be dying in order for us to sing to you!
With our new leaders Suzanne Allan and Liz Watson, we gathered on March 4 at Collins Hall to celebrate our 10 year anniversary here on Bowen. We were also blessed by the presence of some of the men’s choir, Crossing Over, originally founded by Brian Hoover who passed away in 2021. Sadly, the men have also recently lost Islander Bawn Campbell, and both Brian and Bawn were remembered in our songs that evening, and always.
There is a beauty and a magic that happens when we join our voices together in harmony and offer our songs as a healing gift. Something inside the recipient shifts, settles and they often feel deep peace. And, the same may happen to us, the singers. There is a lot of reciprocity in what we do.
We are ready and available to sing for anyone on Bowen. We have sung regularly at a hospice in North Van and hope to start that up again soon. If you would like us to sing to you or a loved one, please know, we don’t all come at once! We train and practice in a larger group, but when it comes to actual bedside singing, we arrive only as a trio.
If you have any questions, or would like to arrange a visit from us, please contact Suzanne Allan at [email protected] or Liz Watson at [email protected]
For more information on the Threshold Choir, please take a look at thresholdchoir.org
