I heard about this group through an segment on NPR. The segment brought me to tears:

The Threshold Choir honors the ancient tradition of women singing at the bedsides of people who are struggling, some with living, some with dying. The voice, as the original human instrument, is a true and gracious vehicle for compassion and comfort. When invited – and without charge – we visit in small groups, welcoming families and caregivers to join us in song or simply to be quietly present.

To not die alone, to die surrounded by singing love, seems to be one of the greatest gifts the universe can bestow upon an individual. But in today’s world, where we’ve seen such incredible violence, that clearly doesn’t happen for all of us. I wonder what peace it can bring families and even the spirit of the one who died, to have singing at funerals/wakes/memorials–singing that lifts the spirit into a new world.