Music thanatologists are trained in harp and voice to ‘send people peacefully out of this world’ with healing music, if requested. Symptoms eased include pain, restlessness, insomnia and laboured breathing. Thanatology can also ease emotions common near death – like anger, fear, sadness and grief.
Harpists can buy harp strings free from animal gut.
It’s important also to respect patients who don’t want music (many don’t). That’s why there is a campaign to ban piped music (not just in stores and supermarkets, but in hospitals, where patients literally have no escape, if they want some peace and quiet).
Music suggestions for hospice patients
Music critic Terez Rose suggests these ten songs for dying patients, in no particular order:
- Andante Moderato from Symphony No. 6
- Edward Elgar, Nimrod
- Fratres for Strings and Percussion
- Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
- Edvard Grieg, Peer Gynt
- Mahler, “Adagietto” from Symphony No. 5
- Georges Bizet, “Entr’acte” from Carmen
- Johann Sebastian Bach, Air on G String
- Ralph Vaughn Williams, The Lark Ascending
- Antonin Dvorák, “Romance in F-minor”
