GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — In a darkened hospital room, six members of the Holistic Harmony Transitional Chorus surround the bed of a Valley View Hospital hospice co-worker. She is dying of leukemia. The chorus holds hands, touches her gently, and begins softly singing traditional and spiritual music, unaccompanied, to relax and soothe her in her final hours.

Singing is difficult for two chorus members who have worked with her. The intensity of the singing and the immediate situation multiplies the emotional impact. Other chorus members sense the difficulty, and become stronger for their counterparts.

The dying woman manages a sweet smile and whispers, “That was beautiful,” as they finish.

Last November, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Sean Jeung gave Director of Holistic Harmony Lesa Russo a video to watch of an Eastern U.S. hospice chorus which specifically sings for dying patients. Russo saw no reason why a local group couldn’t do the same thing. She put an announcement in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, “Calling all Angels,” and through the response, the Holistic Harmony Transitional Chorus was formed.

The group practices in the Valley View Hospital lobby Wednesday evenings. Of the six people who attended the practice in early April, only one had previously sung in a choir or chorus. Others did have musical experience. All are like-minded with the intention of providing a special gift for those who are ready to let go and relieve their suffering.

Singing in a group to a person who is transitioning into death is not the same as singing in a concert or in other situations. Along with profound respect for the individual and the situation, the type of music, volume, and attention to every detail lend to the awareness of the patient’s needs.

They pay special attention to the types of music chosen. Each phrase of the song is practiced repeatedly to make the harmonies pure and beautiful. Over and over they practice rounds of Navajo and Native American chants, a Quaker song, and hymns.

They are always learning new songs, such as “Down to the river to pray,” from the movie, “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?”

At the beginning and end of all practices, each member has time to speak without interruption to connect with other members. It’s important these volunteers express whatever might be on their minds and their hearts.

“Our days are filled with emotion,” said Russo. “We have to be a strong supportive group for each other. After singing to a patient, it helps to de-brief, because it can be emotionally taxing. We have grown to become a close community in ourselves, even in our newness.”

Jeung said enthusiastically, “I look forward to this, it is such an emotional B-12 shot.”

The group’s youngest member is Yampah Mountain High School senior Kara Gipson of No Name, who has a strong, high harmonic voice. She said, “I think it’s meaningful and useful work, and my mother was a Hospice nurse.”

Others in the group said she joined the group because the announcement called for angels, and she has an angelic voice.

The group is hoping to attract a few more members. They’d like to increase their core group to 10 to 15 members who consistently attend every week so they would have a larger roster of members to call upon when the chorus is needed.

When the patient is at the final stage, at peace with it, and working hard to stay in that place to transition to the next stage, the group does not want to awaken the patient, but rather to help them peacefully continue on their journey. The chorus chooses simple songs, and sometimes songs are sung in a different language for this purpose. Everything is done so the patient feels support and knows they are not dying alone.

Russo said, “The chorus is invited into someone’s sacred space. Death is very individual and personal. Our purpose is to come to the bedside of the dying, surround them in love, and quietly provide the gift of warmth and song to ease their transition. Our purpose is not to entertain.

“The chorus does sing to patients in the hospital, but we will go to someone’s home or a nursing home if the patient wants,” Russo continued. “We’ll find out what’s going on, the atmosphere the patient is in, what stage the patient is in, and what kinds of music the patient prefers.”

Patients are not expected to open their eyes, applaud or anything else during this special time. They just rest and absorb. A change of breathing or a softening of the muscles in the face is often observed.

The chorus’ work is for the families, as much as for the dying. Family members watching a loved one die are often trying to hold back their grief. When the chorus sings for their relative or friend, feelings can come to the surface, and they can talk about what’s happening.

Once a loved one has died, families often feel the comfort of having provided something beautiful at the end. It eases their sorrow, and patients’ families are thankful for the program.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said one family member of a hospice patient who has had the chorus sing for her. “She was immediately in peace during the music, and she looks forward to it, no matter how much pain she is in.”

“People take it into their hearts,” the relative concluded.

Russo will be attending a threshold chorus workshop by Kate Munger, considered the founder of threshold choirs, in Inverness, Calif. She is looking forward to learning new songs, singing to her heart’s content, and bringing back to her chorus increased enthusiasm and spirituality from choruses on either coast. She is grateful to The Valley View Hospital Auxiliary for generously funding her trip.

Members of The Holistic Harmony Transitional Chorus are proud their chorus is unique to the area. Threshold choruses have been popping up in California and Vermont. But here on the Western Slope, our community is fortunate the chorus brings its special gifts of beautiful harmonic songs and spirit to terminal patients and their families. There is nothing like it for at least 1,000 miles in any direction.

If you or a family member or friend would like to contact the Hospice Chorus to become a member or inquire about its services, please call Lesa at 309-1701 or Sean at 384-7531.