Santa Barbara Threshold Singers

08/30/2026

We hold our rehearsals on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month. When the month includes a 5th Saturday, we hold a special session focusing on some aspect that relates to bedside singing and building connections with each other. Today, renowned vocal coach Florence Mercurio Riggs joined us to help strengthen our vocal technique. She ended the session by leading us in one of her signature "creative sounding" experiences.

08/30/2026

To celebrate "Play Music on the Porch Day" the Santa Barbara Threshold Singers took a break from our session today and went out onto the deck of the Sierra Madre building at Vista del Monte and sang "You Are My Sunshine." I wrote these lyrics as a "happy version" -- which the original song is not.

08/18/2026

Barbara Liss, who used to sing with the Santa Barbara Threshold Singers until she and her husband moved away, came back for a 2-day visit and -- fortuitously -- it coincided with our rehearsal! She also came with us to sing in the living room at Sarah House afterwards, of which she has many fond memories from the years when we used to sing there on the 3rd Friday evening of each month.

07/31/2026

HELP THE THRESHOLD CHOIR RECEIVE A $10K GRANT!

Crazy Good Turns awards grants to 501(c)(3)s that have a real person-to-person effect. They value one-on-one interaction, which is where we excel. This is an opportunity for you to help us receive a grant of $10,000.

Here's the link to submit a nomination:
https://crazygoodturns.org/award-2026-form

The form is short and involves basic information about who you are and a short paragraph about why you think Threshold Choir should receive this grant.

When completing the form, please use the following contact information where it asks for Organization details:
Organization Name: Threshold Choir
Organization Contact Person: Jennifer Samuels
Organization Contact Phone: 707-596-8531
Organization Web Address: www.thresholdchoir.org

There is a field to add a video link - consider using this one: 
https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/195742/threshold-choir-brings-songs-of-comfort-to-the-dying

While this is not a popularity contest, there is consideration of how many nominations a 501(c)(3) receives, which demonstrates how much of a difference the organization is making. We want to get a cross-section of people nominating Threshold Choir -- so please pass this along to friends, family members, and anyone who has been touched by our singing.

Founder says music serves as a bridge “from the purely physical temporal body experience ... to what lies beyond.”

07/31/2026

What a grand afternoon we had at Sarah House! Marti Mariette, the director of the Santa Cruz chapter, is in town with a friend, and she'd asked if we could gather some of the Santa Barbara Threshold Singers together. Sarah House hosted us, and we filled the living room with song!

06/29/2026

Yesterday was a special occasion for the Santa Barbara Threshold Singers. After a hiatus of a number of years, we have resumed singing at our beloved Sarah House.

For many years, we used to sing in the living room on the third Friday evening of each month. Residents who were ambulatory, people visiting their loved ones, volunteers, and staff taking a quick break would often join us in the circle. Then, as requested, we would sing for individual residents in their rooms or on the patio. Now we will be singing there again on a regular basis -- one Saturday afternoon each month.

The photo is of the entryway, which is used for memorials and art displays of all kinds. This one includes quotes from different residents, collected over the years.

Sarah House is holding a very exciting fundraising event -- "Sarah House Stories" -- a staged reading of the fascinating stories of three different residents who spent their last days in the loving care of Sarah House. The first performance sold out, so get your tickets early for the final show on Friday, July 3rd, at 6:00 at the Unitarian Society Parish Hall!

https://www.independent.com/.../sarah-house-stories.../

05/18/2026

This afternoon the Santa Barbara Threshold Singers participated in an event organized by the two Unitarian groups in our area to present information about end-of-life decisions and the many services that are available. The choir sang at the entrance to Parish Hall as people arrived, then opened the event by singing "Bless These Hands." Later I gave a short presentation on what we do (bedside singing). The other presenters included the local providers of hospice care, the death doulas, the Death Cafe, and the Conversation Project. Lots of really good information!

12/13/2025

The Guardian has published another article on the work of the Threshold Choir, this time focusing on the chapter in Devon, England. It includes a link to a 20-minute documentary. "Rest Easy" -- one of the songs featured in the video -- was composed by Marilyn Power Scott, who co-founded the Santa Barbara chapter of the choir.

https://www.theguardian.com/.../threshold-the-choir-who...

Many thanks to The Guardian!

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/12/he-was-struggling-with-his-breath-i-sat-beside-him-and-sang-the-choir-who-sing-to-people-on-their-deathbeds?fbclid=IwY2xjawOqh9pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFBcmxPenRqOWtmQjl2YVNWc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpMw9eTJGQy-BjrmwWlrY9TmHMPRhzKQ0hahYAYfHZq-F-d9LIpbDYW6GceA_aem_sOdkibEv16qw2vwfmC54UA

Just as lullabies send babies to sleep, so songs can help those at the other end of life on their way. The leader of a Threshold Choir reveals what they do – and the personal tragedies that convinced her we need to get better at dealing with death