Singer and guitarist Edelle McMahon has been working with us in Northern Ireland since 2018, and began sharing the joy of live music with people at Belfast’s Northern Ireland Hospice in 2021.
Edelle’s live music experiences involve moving from room to room, allowing her to connect with one person or family at a time and adapt to each individual’s needs.
“Every single door I stop on is like a performance for one, and it is very personal. The acoustics in the hospice are incredible. You are walking through this beautiful corridor with high slanted ceilings, and the sound just fills the space. But more than that, it is the emotional connection that matters. Families are often in tears. If it is a song someone truly loves or one that awakens a memory, it can be a really moving moment.”
Edelle’s repertoire spans 1940s ballads, hymns, modern pop and even heavy metal, allowing her to connect with people of all ages by playing the music that resonates most with them.
“I once learned a Metallica song because I knew someone would still be there the following week and I wanted to play it for him. You never know what you’re going to get at the hospice.”
The hospice staff are a vital part of this work. Their insights have helped her approach each room with care and consideration, understanding that not everyone may want to listen in that moment.
“The nurses are angels. Sometimes they say, ‘not that room tonight, they have had a rough day,’ or they will come and say, ‘can you play something by this artist, they are really looking forward to it.’ They see the difference it makes, and I think that brings something to them as well.” Edelle adds.
The live music offers something meaningful to patients receiving respite or palliative care and brings real value to their families. Edelle adds: “Being able to give someone near the end of their life that little bit of something pretty, something moving, something meaningful or a memory for the whole family to take away with them is very worthwhile. It’s a small thing, but it’s something I can give them, and I feel very privileged to be able to.”
