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Healing through the power of song

The Sunshine CoastThreshold Choiris hosting the annual West Coast Threshold Retreat this year at the Botanical Gardens in West Sechelt.

The Sunshine CoastThreshold Choiris hosting the annual West Coast Threshold Retreat this year at the Botanical Gardens in West Sechelt.

Kate Munger, Threshold's founding mother, will be here to guide new and old members alike through the process of bedside singing and assisting new members with finding and blending our voices.

Threshold Singers are women who bring comfort and compassion through song to those on the threshold of living and dying or who may be experiencing grief, trauma or healing. In groups of two to four, they sing songs from a variety of traditions, to soothe, comfort and uplift. They sing when invited - in private homes, hospice, care facilities and hospitals and freely give the gift of singing. Donations are graciously accepted.

Munger of Inverness, Calif., has been singing since she was a youngster and has beenleading song circles for more than 30 years in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 2000, she started theThreshold Choir, after she had sung at the bedside of a dear friend who was dying of AIDS. Afterthe first two choirs were formed, word spread and now after 13 years, there are upwards of 100 Threshold Choirs across North America and beyond.

ThresholdSingers honour the tradition of singing at life's thresholds. The voice, as the original human instrument, is a true andgracious vehicle for compassion and comfort. The Sunshine Coast Threshold Choir is open to opportunities for new women to join andshare the sacred gifts of their voices particularly at the bedsides of those seriously ill or dying.

The Coast Retreat begins Sept. 27 and closes Sunday, Sept. 29 with a free public performance from noon to 1 p.m. at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt.

Cost for the Retreat is $110 to $95 (sliding scale).For more information contact Judy Lynne at 604-886-7334.

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