The sound of music

There’s something to sing about as the sound of music comes to St Luke’s Hospice.

Musicians Jamie Roberts and Julia Waldron have launched a series of weekly singalong sessions at the St Luke’s Ecclesall Road South site, home of the charity’s Patient and Family Support services.

Jamie, who lives in Stocksbridge, and Meersbrook based Julia, originally came to St Luke’s as part of the Swansong Project, which gives people living with terminal illnesses, dealing with bereavement or planning their end stages of life the opportunity and support to write and record their own original song.

But they quickly discovered there was also a real interest in patients and friends simply getting together and singing their favourite melodies.

So now Jamie and Julia have come up with a singalong collection that ranges from folk songs to Sinatra and Abba - all guaranteed to get everybody joining in!

We’d only intended to do it as a way of introducing ourselves to everyone but people loved it and we were asked if we could come and do it again,” said professional folk singer Jamie.

It’s been an incredibly positive experience and it’s been wonderful to see the way people react.

We’ll get people come along and say they’ll just sit at the back of the room and listen but that soon changes and by the end of the session they’re joining in and saying how much they enjoy it.

Every week it becomes more apparent to me just how valuable singing can be, especially when people tell us what a difference singing has made to their lives.

It isn’t a performance, it’s just a group of people singing and enjoying themselves and it really lifts their spirits.

The St Luke’s Patient and Family Support Services are open to anybody over the age of 18 who has been been diagnosed with a palliative condition.

The services are also available to people who have had a recent loss of a relative, family member or close friend who was cared for by St Luke’s and those currently caring for a St Luke's patient or with a family member or close friend who is a St Luke's patient.