Voices of comfort: rare 40-voice ‘song bath’ coming to Lennox Head
A rare gathering of up to 40 Threshold Singers will fill a Lennox Head church with gentle harmonies next month, in what organisers say may be a once-only experience for the community.
The Ballina Threshold Singers will host visiting choir members from across Australia and New Zealand for a regional gathering on April 12, culminating in a free public “song bath”.
The event will be held at St John the Baptist Church in Lennox Head from 2.30pm to 3.30pm, with locals invited to lie back, relax and be immersed in sound.
“The intention of a song bath is to bring peace and calm to our community through song,” Threshold Singer Jane Elliott said.
“We will invite people to bring along a cushion, yoga mat, blanket or anything else that will help make them comfortable, and settle in for an hour or so to be bathed in our gentle harmonies.”
Ballina’s Threshold Singers performing at a community expo last year
Threshold Singers are best known for their work at the bedside of people nearing the end of life, where small groups sing soft, lullaby-style songs to provide comfort.
“As you know, we usually sing at bedside in groups of three or four, and at community events we often sing in a group of about 10 or 12,” Ms Elliott said.
Because of the regional gathering, that number will swell significantly.
“Because of this gathering there will be 30 to 40 of us singing to the community, which may never happen again,” she said.
Choir members will travel from Auckland, Christchurch, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane to take part.
While the group’s work is often associated with end-of-life care, the Lennox Head event is open to the wider community.
The Ballina Threshold Singers formed in 2020 and have since sung in homes, hospitals and aged care settings, offering their time as a free service.
Although the event will be held in a church, the group emphasises it is non-religious.
“The church has been very generous in providing this venue for us,” Ms Elliott said.
The event is free and no bookings are required.
