More than just the music

Sometimes you find yourself in just the right place at just the right time. And that was definitely the case for me and Leah recently. Leah happens to be at school with my son and her mum happens to be a member of the nursing staff at Strathcarron. I’ve heard Leah sing at various school performances over the years, so I happen to know that Leah has a beautiful voice! So, I was delighted when she agreed to come along to the hospice and sing for the patients on the ward one evening last week.

The ‘ward’ at Strathcarron is made up of several single rooms and a few four-bedded rooms with open spaces in between. So, singing in the ward involved moving around, finding the most suitable spots for the patients, their visitors and the staff and, well, singing. No big fanfare, no big audience, no accompaniment, just Leah and her lovely voice. We visited some of the single rooms – where Leah sang for patients on their own or for patients and their visitors – or we stood in the open spaces and Leah just let her voice travel through the ward. It really was just lovely.

And, for one particular family, we happened to be in just the right place at just the right time. They asked me if Leah could sing an especially meaningful song at a particularly meaningful moment and - even though Leah wasn’t sure of the words or the tune - she managed to find the song on the internet on her phone then stood and sang it beautifully. It’s a moment I’ll never forget; knowing that a family were deeply touched by Leah’s song, watching such a young girl conduct herself with such maturity and compassion and feeling humbled and reminded that this placement is about so much more than just the music.

Here's Leah early on in the evening: