The Camp Kerry Society’s mission is to create a community of compassion and support for individuals and families who are living with serious illness, grief and loss. Our Community choir is just one way in which we work towards this goal with our participants.

Each week we meet to sing together for a few hours. There are opportunities for sharing stories, for silence, for contributing song ideas and of course for just letting the power of singing together work it’s magic.

Some of us are healing from the loss of a loved one and singing in community has become a profound source of joy and support in a very difficult time. Some of us are facing ongoing life changes, challenges and stressors (coping with an illness or chronic health issues, caring for a loved one with an illness, and/or coping with PTSD, anxiety, depression) and singing helps us deal better with the stress that change brings. Hospice volunteers, health care professionals and others who wish to stand in solidarity and support with those who grieve or those who face health challenges are also in attendance. The choir strives to create a deeply safe space for people from all walks of life to come together and share in the joy of singing.

Generally, we focus on songs that help connect with the complex emotion of grief and also the joy that is experienced from building connections through music and community. Choir members are invited to share their favourite songs and collectively the group decides which pieces to focus on. At the end of each term, we typically have a final concert to share our hard work with family, friends and others in the community.

All are welcome to attend and absolutely no singing experience is required. In fact, most of our members have never sung before. The music therapist will support and lead each member in freeing his or her voice through learning and creating music that is rich and meaningful while also simple enough for new singers to sing with great success.