On a quiet morning in October, a small group of singers from the Threshold Choir walked into the foyer of a hospice patient’s home. They chatted quietly with the daughter and husband of a patient, the two explaining that their mother and wife had begun to see visions. “We are not sure what to expect going forward,” they said.
As the singers and family members were walking into the patient’s bedroom, the daughter spoke, an upbeat lilt in her voice. “Mom, you have some visitors,” she said. “There is a choir here to sing to you.”
The members of the choir smiled at the warm welcome as they continued to file into the bedroom. They set up their small stools around the bed and greeted the woman with smiling eyes and quiet hellos.
The woman looked on from her hospice bed, perhaps a little startled by the new people in her room. The small ensemble took a deep breath, and began with one of its favorite songs, written by the spiritual leader Ram Dass. Repeating the phrase, “We are all just walking each other home” in three-part harmonies, the song felt meditative and serene.
The songs kept flowing, one beginning as another ended. Over the next half hour, melodies were shared by the choir, and shows of gratitude were made by the daughter and husband, the hospice patient herself appearing very calm and connected; she made long, sustaining eye contact with each singer, at times bringing her hands together in silent applause.
I LOVE THE CONCEPT, I LOVE ALL OF
THEM, AND I LOVE THE SERVICE THEY CAN PROVIDE! IT’S SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL THAT IS OFFERED IN OUR SMALL COMMUNITY. ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, EVERY TIME I HEAR THEM SING, I GET GOOSEBUMPS AND I AM SO … MOVED.”
~ TRACY CHANEY, VOLUNTEER PROGRAM MANAGER FOR TAHOE FOREST HEALTH SYSTEM
These quiet moments of connection, to us singers, felt like a profound acknowledgment, and appreciation, of our service.
Origins and now
While singing in homes like this, members of the Truckee Threshold Choir are often filled with emotion. Karen Tomasello, a choir member, reflected on her experiences: “It’s so humbling to have the honor to sing to members of our Truckee community … the connection to patients, care-givers, and family members is soul-nourishing.”
The Threshold Choir was first created by Kate Munger in 2000 in the Bay Area to bring songs of comfort to the dying and their loved ones. Munger first conceived of the idea after sitting with a friend who was dying from HIV/AIDS. Frightened of being so close to death, she found that singing was the only way for her to make it through.
“I sang the song that gave me courage for 2 and a half hours,” Munger said. “I felt as if I had given generously of my essence to my dear friend while I sang to him. I also found that I felt deeply comforted, which in turn was comforting to him.”
The benefits of the choir, for both the patients and the singers, were immense. And soon, Threshold Choir chapters were starting up in many communities. There are now over 200 chapters worldwide.
In Maryland in 2024, Nathan Maton was deeply moved by the experience of sitting with a Threshold Choir at his own mother’s bedside. His mom, Mary Kay Parkinson, had been a member of the choir for 10 years, so it was especially meaningful for her and the entire family.
“It was so beautiful,” Nathan recounted. “They sounded like angels and were very comforting for us as we had heavy feelings knowing her end was only months away.”
Now a Truckee resident, Maton wanted to bring some of that peace and comfort to the Truckee/Tahoe community. In the spring of 2025, he founded a local chapter.
The Truckee Threshold Choir, which serves the entire North Tahoe area, now has six members, with plans to expand membership from a waiting list of interested singers. Current members include Nathon Maton, Sandy Sahlman, Karen Tomasello, Sandie Davis, Fran Sandwith, and me, Brooke Chabot. Collectively, our group has centuries of musical experience, ranging from classical music studies, singing in church choirs, barber shop choirs, bluegrass bands, and even, for Sandie Davis, on stage at Carnegie Hall.
Together we create an a cappella sound that blends harmonies to invoke an atmosphere of serenity. Our songs are simple in structure, often repeating a phrase (sort of like a mantra) that speaks of being together, of laying down your troubles, and of allowing the breath and healing waters to comfort you.
Benefits for all
An unexpected outcome of the choir is the amount of ease and peace our members experience from singing with each other during rehearsals, in our song baths, and in the hospice sessions. We learn to listen and to blend with each other as we sing our harmony parts, feeling the vibrations of the notes layered upon themselves.
“The peaceful qualities of the songs touch me so much when we sing together,” said Sandie Davis. “I know it will be a blessing to others.”
Founder Kate Munger said of the choir, “We find rehearsals calming or energizing, depending on our need when we walk in. We make friends, and our relationships are deepened by the work we do together. For some, Threshold Choir is a spiritual home or an extension of other spiritual practices.”
Tracy Chaney, volunteer program manager for Tahoe Forest Health System, who coordinates with hospice and the Threshold Choir, is pleased with the outcome of this new offering. “So far, the response has been wonderful … all I hear is incredible feedback from the families. I love the concept, I love all of them, and I love the service they can provide! It’s something very special that is offered in our small community. On a personal level, every time I hear them sing, I get goosebumps and I am so … moved.”
In addition to hospice visits, the Truckee Threshold Choir meets once a month at The Alchemy Space on West River Street to provide free song baths to the public. Anyone is welcome to join these hour-long sessions to be comforted by the harmonic sounds of the choir. Participants recline in zero-gravity chairs or lie on pillows on the floor as the choir sings in a circle around them.
A recent attendee of a song bath, who had been suffering from the effects of a debilitating bike accident, described the event: “It was a beautiful and moving experience. Their harmony was exceptional. It’s encouraging that there are people that dedicate time, offering this experience to people whose health is declining or suffering from trauma.”
In the future, the Truckee Threshold Choir hopes to continue to offer comfort through music to those who are suffering, who are dying, or who are grieving. The group will continue to reach community members in need through its programs — and through people who reach out individually to request the choir to come sing to their loved one.
I am continuously in awe of the connections that music can foster between people, and at the power of music to heal our deepest wounds. The Threshold Choir feels like a profound embodiment of both.
