~ Singing for the end of life ~

Companion Voices are singers based in the UK who gather to learn songs and prepare themselves to sing for people at the end of life. We share our voices, compassion and loving presence, whether in person or virtually, when called upon to do so. Our deep and trusting community supports all Companions as well as those we gather to serve.

If you’d like to:

• call on us to sing at a bedside
• join us as a Companion
• explore setting up a new group in your local area
  please contact us on info@companionvoices.org.

Some of the songs we sing

Natu Maini
A lullaby with music by John Bowker to Swahili words meaning: ‘we hope you sleep well’…  mp3 download

Companions
Written by Judith Silver, the founder of CV, inspired by Hazel Fall and Kay Ashton: we are all here with you… beside you, beside you… mp3 download

These songs were recorded online during summer 2020 by Companions from a number of groups, and edited by Bernard Burns, to whom we are very grateful.

Please also see our Songs We Sing page for more about our repertoire.

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the silent stars to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
~ A Celtic Blessing Song

Excerpt from a talk given by Companion Voices founder Judith Silver at the Theos Think Tank annual lecture given by Dr Kathryn Mannix on 1st November 2023

Companion Voices share songs at the bedside of people who’ve requested our presence as they near the end of their lives. We’ve been doing this in the UK for almost ten years now.

I founded Companion Voices in 2014, inspired by the Threshold Choirs in America and also by my recent experience of singing for a dear friend, Nina, as she was dying. Since then I’ve had so many profound experiences, both of being a Companion and also of receiving the support of Companions as my own mother was dying six years ago.

Our repertoire is a mix of simple songs, chosen for their gentle sounds, whether in English or in other languages, and we include many lullabies – for reasons that I think will be obvious to you. We sing for people – and we are ourselves people – of all faiths and none. Our songs reflect this and we take care to bring appropriate choices to each individual we sing for.

Companions are not performers, and when we sing we do it in the spirit of wishing our listeners well, for their comfort and wellbeing. The aim is to create the kind of sound that friends and family might create as they sing for someone they love who is dying. This tradition isn’t widespread in our culture at this time but it is so very valuable and it’s our vision to give everyone who’d like it access to it.